CONSTRUCTIVE PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
The transparency of a glass balustrade is a great advantage in the event of a fire: the fire is detected more quickly, especially at night. In addition, the closed construction of the glass balustrade makes it more difficult for air to enter and for the fire to spread to higher floors. However, the key differences between glass balustrades only become apparent when you look at the design details. All-glass balustrades consist of laminated safety glass, usually two panes of toughened safety glass, clamped into an aluminium profile at the bottom. The glass is fixed in place with plastic wedges. Thin-walled rubber or PVC profiles are occasionally used.
The GM RAILING® all-glass balustrade system is characterised by its bonding technology, where the bottom edge of the glass is embedded in a solid profile with fire-resistant silicone. This method prevents high temperature differences, delaying the point at which the glass will break. The bond distributes the load evenly across the edge of the glass, reducing peak stresses and significantly increasing the structural strength.In the event of a fire, the silicone bonding ensures that the non-fire side remains functional, even if the aluminium profile on the fire side softens. This design solution offers significant advantages in fire risk areas and represents a significant improvement in safety and durability.
TESTED GLASS MART SYSTEMS
Both GM RAILING® UNI and GM TOPROLL® have been tested according to the strict criteria of ÖNORM B 3800-5 - fire behaviour of building materials and components, Part 5: Fire behaviour of facades. In the fire tests carried out by the Testing, Inspection and Certification Centre of the City of Vienna, GM RAILING® UNI and GM TOPROLL® were exposed to a fire similar to that which could occur when leaving a window of a fully burning room. The systems to be tested were installed in a weather-independent test stand simulating the original installation conditions and exposed to a defined fire load under natural ventilation conditions.
RESULTS OF THE FIRE TEST
The results speak for themselves: both GM RAILING® UNI and GM TOPROLL® performed excellently under the test conditions chosen. The testers did not detect any visual fire propagation on either the modular glass railing system with steel substructure or the sliding system.Furthermore, no large (> 0.4 m² or > 5 kg) or burning parts of the structure fell off during the test. The temperatures between the autoclaved aerated concrete wall and the substructure or the laminated safety glass panes did not increase significantly throughout the test.
IMPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION
These test results not only prove the fire resistance of the tested glass railing and sliding systems, they are also of crucial importance for fire protection.GM RAILING® stands out for its unique design features: thanks to the even bonding of the glass surface, the railing remains stable even in the event of enormous heat build-up.This gives architects, planners and builders decisive advantages in the realisation of large residential projects.