glasstec 2008

Every two years, glasstec - the world's largest trade fair for the international glass industry - provides an indispensable overview of current solutions and trends in the glass industry, glass engineering sector and the glass skilled trades. Just how individual products function and are used in practical applications can however not only be seen at the Exhibition Centre but also in the city of Düsseldorf itself. A series organised by Messe Düsseldorf will pick up several projects. In the area of fire-resistant glazing we have the example of the InterContinental Hotel on Düsseldorf's Königsallee, only a few minutes away from the Exhibition Centre.

The InterContinental Hotel on Düsseldorf's Königsallee, which opened in September 2005, extends a spacious welcome to its guests from all over the world. When approaching from the Königsallee you first enter a 1,000 square metre light-flooded atrium, which rises above the ten-storey building's total height of 40 metres. Here we find the foyer and the central access zone. Solar-protection glazing prevents the air under the arched glass-steel roof from excessive heating-up. In the access zones leading towards the atrium transom & mullion facades fitted with G30 fire-resistant glazing offer an unrestricted view down below. The infilling elements used in the building's pivot-vent windows were thermal insulation, sound-proof and solar-protection insulating glass.

Safe escape routes
The hotel's access corridors as well as the glazed elevators directly adjoin the atrium. Therefore, when it came to the ceiling-floor glazing for the hallways, apart from complying with the fire-prevention requirements, an anti-fall feature according to the Technical Guidelines for Glazing Protecting against Fall from a Height (Technische Regeln für absturzsichernde Verglasungen (TRAV) in category C3 was also necessary. This means that in addition, a horizontal handrail had to be placed in front of the glazing. The installation conditions and structure of the transom & mullion facades are prescribed by the fire prevention regulations. As the access corridors also serve as escape routes for the five-star hotel's guest rooms, special measures had to be taken. If a fire breaks out in the foyer, the escape routes must also be protected and secured on the upper floors. The installed G30 facades reliably protect the downstream escape route hallways for at least 30 minutes against fire, hot gases and smoke.

The fire-resistant glazing used here incorporating Pyran S from Schott Jenaer Glas meets the highest standards with comparably thin glass structures. In order to obtain general technical approval for individual cases - examined by the Ministry for Urban Development and Housing, Culture and Sport (Ministerium für Städtebau, Wohnen, Kultur und Sport - MSWKS) NRW - pendulum impact tests were conducted with relatively thin glass structures. The structure of the facade design for the G30 fire-resistant glazing - a combination of 5-mm Pyran S / PVB film / 5-mm Float with insulation glass consisting of 2 x laminated safety glass also fitted with Pyran S - is based on general technical approval No. Z-19.14.367 from the Gundelfingen façade-construction company Gartner. While simple composition fire-resistant glazing was used in the hall glazing, due to high sound-proof requirements for the presidential suites on the 10th floor, G30 insulation glass was fitted. When installed it reaches a value of 45 dB.

Fire-resistant glazing for multi-functional applications
Pyran S from Schott Jenaer Glas is a monolithic, thermally pre-stressed borosilicate glass according to DIN EN 1748-1. As a component of fire-resistant glazing in fire-resistance categories G30, G60, G90 and G120, due to its special optical as well as mechanical properties, it has proved itself for many years in a large number of objects and facilities. The special glass is manufactured on a worldwide-unique micro-float line and is available in thicknesses of 5 to 12 millimetres up to maximum dimensions of 1,800 x 3,600 millimetres with thicknesses of 8 millimetres. A characteristic feature of Pyran S is the high transmission value in the visible and ultraviolet spectrum. The functional glass has brilliant opal glass optics, which guarantee true and natural colour rendition. It fulfils the requirements placed on tempered safety glass according to DIN 1249-12 for increased glass safety in public places, buildings, offices etc. along with the provisions of the Social Accident Insurance (Gemeindeunfallversicherung) regulation as well as the German Workplaces Ordinance (Arbeitsstättenverordnung). Compared to conventional soda-lime glass, the lower heat expansion coefficient as well as high stability and firmness ensure that Pyran S safely withstands the heat-up phase in fire tests according to the standard time temperature curve corresponding to DIN 4102 even with glazing bites up to 15 mm. As a result, a long service life can be achieved using even simple frame systems.

Fire-resistant glazing from Schott Jenaer Glas not only offers quality of the highest level in terms of fire resistance, it can also be optically adapted to individual design ideas and requirements through silk-screen printing, sandblasting or coating, and depending on the requirements, can be combined with other functional glazing, for example in the areas of thermal insulation, sound-proofing or visual protection and blinds.

At the InterConti Hotel Düsseldorf a total of 700 square metres of simple-composite Pyran S fire-resistant glazing and 150 square metres combined with sound-proof insulation glass ensure maximum safety.

An overview of the latest developments and trends in the area of fire-resistant glazing will be provided by the forthcoming glasstec from 21st to 25th October 2008 in Düsseldorf.