Fire Resistant Curtain Wall Facades

Fire safety is always the first consideration prioritized by the curtain wall building design team. As we all know, the most common cause of death in a fire incident continues to be the excessive inhalation of gas, smoke or toxic fumes. Therefore, in-built fire barriers are included in building design to prevent the spread of flames and smoke, in order to reduce the risk to occupant safety.

Generally speaking, a fire rated curtain wall is, in simple terms, a highly robust piece of fire-resistant material that remains discretely suspended from a ceiling, lobby or doorway, until it is lowered when the smoke or fire alarm within a building is triggered. At that point, this type of curtain wall becomes a barrier between the fire and the escape routes that building occupants are expected to use during an evacuation. For structural glass curtain wall, it is crucial for the compartmentation or prevention of flames spreading, either laterally or vertically, and putting people’s lives at an increased risk. In most cases, fire rated curtain wall can be used to replace a non-load bearing wall and fire rated glazing, which in turn allows open plan building designs to meet the relevant regulations. Similarly, elevators and lobbies can be protected by vertical curtains, which prevent the spread of smoke and flames through the shaft.

In recent years, with an increasing popularity of open plan layouts, it has become increasingly impossible to utilise fire rated curtain wall in curtain wall construction. In practical applications, the implementation of fire-resistant barriers, such as fire doors and fire rated curtain wall into a building’s design divides a space into compartments. Specifically speaking, fire rated curtain wall system combines fire-resistive-rated glass (i.e. glass that protects against radiant heat as well as flames and smoke) with fire-rated steel frames to provide an overall one-hour barrier. Furthermore, the high level of fire resistance afforded by the system decreases the likelihood of the hazard spreading to or even from nearby buildings.

In most cases, the silicone-sealed curtain wall requires no pressure plates or caps, and its fire-protection capabilities are further supported by various other products, such as low-emissivity (low-e) and spandrel fire-rated glazing. Meanwhile, this type of curtain wall system balances and extends the surface area for light transfer, allowing illumination of parts of the building’s interior (such as its retail space). A toggle retention system is also featured within the assembly, but is completely hidden once installed, allowing the curtain wall to uphold its frame-free appearance. This monolithic aesthetic is typical of silicone-glazed (SG) curtain wall systems, and here, it minimizes visual interruption that might otherwise be introduced by the select areas of code-required fire protection.