Typical Applications for fire-rated floors:
The spread of fire within a building is restricted by sub dividing it into compartments. These compartments are separated from each other by walls and floors of fire resisting construction.
To prevent the rapid spread of fire that could trap occupants of the building.
To help reduce the opportunity for fires to become large and therefore more dangerous to occupants and the fire service personnel.
The use of the building affects the quantity of people within, the potential for fires to start and spread and the ease of evacuation.
The height to the top and the depth to the bottom of the building again affect ease of evacuation and the effectiveness of the fire services to intervene.
The availability of sprinkler systems will affect the spread of fire and may suppress it altogether.
Part of an escape route
Parts of a building that are occupied for different purposes
Ground floor level above a basement
All basement floors if lowest part is more than 10m below the ground floor level
Upper storey of buildings more than 2 storeys
All Floors of a building if highest part is more than 30m from ground floor level
Places of special fire hazard.
Floors above an integral garage
Floors between separate flats or maisonettes
Car parks
Institutional buildings including health care
Shopping complex
Places for assembly and recreation
Schools with floor areas greater than 800m2
All floors with areas greater than 2,000m2
The FLOORGLAZE (Fire-rated) system has been conceived to provide a fire-rated, transparent and load-bearing glass floor. These floors can be fitted independently or be joined together to provide an unlimited expanse of glass floor. Each individual free-spanning element can reach up to widths of 2328mm with a maximum glazed area of 2.82m2.
The junction between each co-joining element is made with a simple 8mm silicone joint on the upper surface and the underneath can be covered neatly by a narrow cosmetic flashing allowing sight-lines of as little as 55mm.
With considerably greater possible dimensions, fire-rated floors can be supplied up to 3.03m2 with maximum dimensions of up to 2335mm. For example, a square floor of a massive 1740mm by 1740mm can be achieved.
The FLOORGLAZE range has been fully tested and is certified with a fire rating of 30 minute integrity and 30 minute insulation (EI30). We also have an option of increasing this fire rating to 60 minutes (EI60) in the 4-edge support configuration with only a slightly reduced maximum possible area of 2.54m2.
Although introduced as a fire-rated solution, the FLOORGLAZE range includes options for standard glass that can integrated alongside to provide continuity of design throughout the project. Non fire-rated floors can of course be considerably larger as there is no restriction due to their fire restricting specifications.
All these floors comprise of a load bearing construction of multi-layered panes of heat-treated safety glass resin-laminated together to carry pedestrian and concentrated loads. Combined with an under pane to give the required fire-rating this is then structurally bonded within a powder coated mild steel frame to provide a fully integrated element.
With the application of a high performance solar coating the FLOORGLAZE range can provide U-values down to 1.1 W/m2/K to conform to the most demanding of Parts ‘L1’ and ‘L2’ of the building regulations for external as well as internal use. This high-performance coating will also help diminish solar gain by restricting solar transmittance to a minimal 28%. Combinations that will both keep the environment cool in summer as well as warm in winter.
For a crisp, ‘whiter’, appearance these floors can be supplied with Low Iron glass to allow an amazing 80% light transmittance and give true transparency from one level to the other.
The complex build-up of these floors will provide the silence of an acoustic performance of 50 Db (Rw) along with the elimination of the transmission of UV. Peace from both the noise and the knowledge that solar bleaching has been controlled.
To allow for consistency, non-fire-rated floors can be designed in a similar fashion to achieve the same visual appearance. These will be more economical than the fire-rated floors even if they are required to have “external” rating.
All testing has been carried out with a uniformly distributed load of 2.5 KN/m2 however greater loads can be accommodated by utilising thicker glass panes if required. If larger load capabilities are required, these can be calculated on an individual basis.
As all the FLOORGLAZE range is supplied fully integrated into a single steel frame it makes fitting extremely easy and free from mess and complication. The glass, being structurally bonded within the frame, will give years of easy operation and eliminate the need to dismantle and clean the various panes. Once the floor is dropped into position the only thing remaining is to apply the provided insulation to the underside of the frame. This can then be concealed within the internal finishes or by optional flashings in powder coated steel or architectural stainless steel.
