In the case of load-bearing glass beams or glass supports made of laminated safety glass (LSG), great importance is attached to preventive structural fire protection. With laminated safety glass, the transformation temperature of the individual components is below 550°C. As a result, the glass loses its load-bearing capacity in the event of a fire.
The Institute of Building Construction at TU Dresden, in conjunction with Hero Fire and Taupitz, has now developed a new laminated safety glass support, which the research partners will be presenting at glasstec 2024. The FiReGlass system is suitable for use as a load-bearing element with defined fire resistance. The core of the beams is made from laminated safety glass, which is protected from the external heat of the fire. For this purpose, the glass surfaces and the lower glass edges are provided with two circumferential protection systems made of fire protection gel and sacrificial panes.
The demonstrator developed for glasstec 2024 shows four glass beams. Two of them are conventional beams made of LSG. One of these was subjected to flame exposure for around 25 minutes in a fire test. The critical deflection was already reached after 20 minutes at approximately 600°C. The other two glass beams are enclosed by the FiReGlass protection system. One of these was also subjected to flame exposure during the fire test, yet was able to withstand a temperature of around 800°C for at least 40 minutes.
