Fire rated safety glass glossary

Anti-attack glass – suitable for glazed doors or screens in applications that require additional security, our anti-attack glass, Attackguard, can be integrated into your glazing solution as a counterpane in an IGU or as an additional laminate layer in the fire resistant  product offering the prescribed level of manual attack protection.

Butt-jointed / SWS glass – a glazed system where glass panels are installed without a vertical frame profile providing a visually appealing seamless ribbon of glass for partitions between rooms and corridors. See Pyroguard Infinity for further details.

CE marking – is mandatory for products manufactured and/or sold within the EU that are associated with a relevant product standard. It certifies that a product meets the requirements of the relevant EU product standard and meets the safety, health and environmental protection requirements of that product standard. However, with the UK no longer part of the EU, the rules around CE marking have changed meaning that certain products on the market in Great Britain will be required to carry the new UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark instead.

Certified system – fire safety glass is just one component in a wider fire resistant system, as opposed to being an independent standalone product. Any fire rated installation should always be part of a complete tested and certified system; including the glass, frame, intumescent glazing media and any other components that may be associated with the installation.

CPD – Are Continuing Professional Development seminars designed to keep recipients up to date on the latest developments in systems and technology. As a leading supplier of fire safety glass and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Pyroguard is able to deliver high quality CPDs to architects, specifiers and other professionals. Our expert trainers have the in-depth knowledge and experience required to deliver engaging and informative CPD training, and to answer any questions you might have regarding the specification, classifications, and applications of fire safety glass.

Cuttable fire safety glass – cuttable fire safety glass is a processable fire glass that can undergo further additional processing including being cut to size after the initial manufacturing stage. This type of glass is supplied in stock sheets or packs to our licensed processors, door manufacturers and customers who have the appropriate training, knowledge and equipment to cut the glass to the required sizes for installation. This product is readily available nationwide and the ease of processing associated with this range provides a convenient and fast solution to the timber and joinery trades. Pyroguard’s range of cuttable fire safety glass includes, Pyroguard Rapide, Pyroguard Rapide Plus and Pyrostem.

DGU / IGU – A glazed unit  with a combination of two or more panes of glass separated with spacer bars and sealed with a primary and secondary sealant to form a single airtight unit with an air space in between. In the case of fire rated DGUs one or more of the panes of glass will be a fire rated glass. These units can be utilised to give increased acoustic, security and thermal benefits.

DOP – Declarations of Performance are a key part of the Construction Products Regulations.  These provide information on the performance of a product and each construction product covered by a European harmonised standard or for which a European Technical Assessment has been issued, needs this declaration and has to be CE or UKCA marked.

Classifications of fire safety glass – This is an official summary of the results of a fire resistance test. There are three available classifications for fire-resistant glass: integrity (E), radiation control (EW) and insulation (EI). and durations from 30 to 180 minutes and combinations of these results.

E Classification – Integrity only – E classification stops the progress of flame and smoke but does not prevent the transmission of radiant heat in the event of a fire. Pyroguard fire safe E glass performs to this classification.

EW Classification – Integrity & Radiation – EW classification maintains the integrity performance of E Classification as well as providing some heat resistance. This reduces the amount of radiant heat issue from the protected side of the glass to below 15 kW/m2. Both Pyroguard Rapide and Pyroguard Firesafe perform to EW classification.

EI Classification – Integrity & Insulation – EI classification offers the highest level of protection from flames, smoke and heat. EI classification stipulates a limitation in the temperature rise of the surface of the glass on the protected side. Pyroguard products that perform to this classification include; Pyroguard Rapide Plus, Pyroguard Protect and Pyroguard Infinity.

Georgian wired fire safety glass (Pyrostem) – Entry-level cuttable, wired fire safety glass which provides integrity only protection against the passage of flames, smoke and toxic gases for 30 – 90 minutes (E Classification). Normally used in like-for-like refurbishment projects that demand an economical glass with the appearance and performance of Georgian polished wired. There is currently a global shortage of wired fire safety glass, however, we can offer you the right technical advice to find the most suitable alternatives for your chosen application.

Smoke control – our smoke control solution ‘Smokeguard’ is a toughened glass product that provides a glazed alternative to traditional mechanical smoke curtains. It is designed to direct smoke around a building as part of the smoke extraction strategy and keep toxic fumes at bay long enough to allow members of the public to exit a building safely with minimal risk of smoke inhalation, injury or death. This system is classified DH to 30 and 60 minutes.

Fire rated safety glass – a specialist glass that provides specific classifications and durations of protection for fire resistance against the attack of fire, heat and toxic fumes.

Laminated fire safety glass – contains at least two sheets of glass bonded together with one or more interlayers of a composite which hold it together if broken or shattered or will react when exposed to fire. Laminated fire safety glass is a good alternative to wired fire safety glass

Monolithic fire safety glass – monolithic or modified toughened fire glass is a single layer of heat treated fire rated safety glass. Unlike cuttable glass, this fire safety glass cannot be cut or further processed once manufactured. Toughened glass is manufactured to size, meaning that every order is unique and project specific, It usually achieves E fire classification  – Integrity rated and provides exceptional impact resistance and high visual qualities

Gel filled toughened fire safety glass – unlike cuttable glass, our gel filled toughened fire safety glass cannot be cut or further processed once manufactured. Gel filled toughened glass, like standard toughened glass, is manufactured to size, meaning that every order is unique and project specific, often with many variances per project making the manufacture of the DGUs a complex and detailed process.

Gel filled toughened glass units can also offer much more in addition to just fire protection. Due to the additional inherent strength they can be combined with any specialist counterpane providing many additional multi-functional properties including examples such as; enhanced acoustic performance, the highest impact or attack resistance or the required level of solar control.

Pyroguard’s toughened fire safety glass range includes; Pyroguard Protect, Pyroguard Firesafe, Pyroguard Infinity, and specialist sector specific products such as Pyroguard Balustrades and Pyroguard Marine.

TGU – similar to DGU and IGU in principle, however triple glazed units are the most effective and efficient way of creating a higher thermally performing glass unit. The concept is to provide a secondary cavity within the glass unit using a third panel of glass therefore creating an additional layer of insulation. In terms of fire performance the same process that applies to DGUs also applies here whereby the cavities are filled with an intumescent gel.

If you have any further questions please read our frequently asked questions or alternatively contact our technical team who will be more than happy to help or discuss your project requirements.