Fire Rated Glass Products

What is Fire Rated Glass?

Fire rated glass contains a special glazing that prevents it from cracking or shattering for a specified amount of time. Fire protective and fire resistive glass helps manage the spread of fire and smoke from one area of a building to another, also known as compartmentation. Most glass breaks at around 250°F but glass that has been treated with special glazing can sustain much higher temperatures before it shatters. Tempered glass, for example, can typically handle temperatures up to 500°F and fire-rated glass products remain stable up to 1600°F.

Fire protective and fire resistive glass products feature ratings showing a measurement of time for long the product can withstand flames and during a fire. Fire ratings may range from 20 minutes up to 120 minutes or more, depending on the product type and application. The type of fire rating and product type required for medical and commercial installation is determined by building codes and can vary based on its intended use (doors, windows, interior, exterior) where the glass will be placed in the building.

There are two types of fire glass products: fire protective and fire resistive. Fire protective products provide protection from heat and smoke, and fire resistive products feature an additional benefit of protection from thermal heat transfer. Fire glass products can also be filmed or laminated for impact resistance, providing an additional measure of safety for building occupants and firefighters.

Testing Fire Rated Glass Products

Fire glass undergoes rigorous testing to determine its fire rating and to ensure it meets the requirements for various classifications, certifications and approvals. Testing for resistance to heat and flames, as well as smoke and thermal shock all part of determining whether a product meets performance standards.

When hot glass is exposed to cool water from a fire hose or sprinklers, the thermal shock can cause the glass to shatter which can then result in further spreading of fire and smoke, or cause injury to building occupants and firefighters. The hose stream test is also of importance and determines a heated fire assembly’s resistance to a steady stream of water and how long the assembly can remain intact with continuous exposure.

High Performance Fire Rated Glass Products

Ray-Bar Engineering proudly offers UL and ULC listed and UL/ULC (United States and Canada) classified, permanently labeled FireLite ceramic fire protective glazing products in a wide variety of options.

Fire Glass Product Features

• 20-, 45-, 60- and up to 90-minute fire ratings for wall or door applications with the required Fire Hose Stream (thermal shock) test
• Impact Resistance meeting ANSI Z97 and CPSC 16CFR 1201 Cat 2 and passing the positive pressure test standard of UL 10C, within the maximum permissible width, height or total exposed area limits.

Fire Protective Glass Products

Fire protective products are manufactured with a protective glazing that withstands heat and flames for a specified amount of time, preventing glass from shattering and preventing the spreading of smoke and flames. 

These high performance "wireless" clear view ceramic fire protective glazing products are also available in Standard and Premium grades of surface clarity. Our fire protective glass is also available as Impact Resistant in 3/16" FireLite-NT(filmed) or 5/16" FireLite-Plus(laminated) ceramics meeting the impact safety rating requirements of ANSI-Z97.1 and CPSC 16CFR1201 Cat 1 and 2.

*With the quality of current production surfacing methods "Standard" grade is widely accepted.

Our product line of fire protective glass includes:

• FireLite-NT Impact Resistant Clear Ceramic Fire Rated Filmed Glazing
• FireLite-Plus Impact Resistant Clear Ceramic Fire Rated Laminated Glazing
• Fire Protective Glazing Solutions
• FireGlass20 Tempered Fire Glass (for 20-minute rated doors only)

Fire Resistive Glass Products

Fire resistive products also contain a protective glazing to help retain flames and smoke, but also provide a barrier for radiant heat transfer.

Our product line of fire resistant glass includes:

• Fire Resistive Pilkington PyroStop® Glazing Solutions