How Does A Fire Rated Curtain Wall Work In Applications

You can imagine if a fire were to break out in a high-rise building, the spread of fire would be vertical – going from one floor to the next, following with the flow of air currents. This is because the void between the floor and curtain wall are not properly sealed. The fire will affect both sides of the curtain wall system causing premature failure of the wall and potentially the vision glass. In that regard, fire-rated curtain wall becomes popular in the modern tall buildings in recent years.

In practical applications, fire-rated curtain walls have been proven to be effective in compartmentalising fire spreading for high-rise buildings. Today, fire-rated curtain walls, the most common cladding for high rise buildings, have evolved in a variety of applications and present varying conditions at the slab edge. In general, the control of fire spread in a high-rise curtain wall building depends on a number of active and passive measures. Fire spread control at the perimeter slab edge involves an interaction of wall, floor and connecting fire stop materials. Specifically speaking, fire-rated curtain walls act as a temporary fire barrier typically activated by a smoke or fire alarm in applications. Typically, they are suspended on the ceiling or a doorway. Once triggered, they are lowered down to act as a firebreak, allowing people to safely evacuate through the designated escape routes. Meanwhile, these dividers are made from high-quality, and fire-resistant materials designed to confine large spaces and close them into smaller sections during a fire. The contained sections are able to prevent the fire from spreading until the building occupants are out of danger and firefighters are deployed.

In recent years, in order to achieve the necessary defense, fire-rated curtain wall systems will use transparent glass wall panels of significant heat-blocking capabilities. Curtain wall manufacturers are trying to use different methods to ensure these high-performance products pass the necessary fire tests and remain relatively cool on the non-fire side for the duration of their designated fire rating. And it is believed that one product can achieve this outcome by incorporating layers of low-iron float glass with an intumescent interlayer.

Dong Peng Bo Da Steel Pipe Group is a famous steel pipe manufacturer in China. We are committed to producing various types of steel products for your choice in your building project in future. Our products are all designed for the fast and easy installation of curtain walls. Contact us if you have any need in your project.