Understanding the Role of Fire-Rated Materials in Passive Fire Protection

Mr. Tariq Kachwala (Director) FG Glass

How is Passive Fire different from Active fire protection?

Fire protection in buildings is one of the most critical elements of design, whether for new or existing constructions. Broadly, fire protection can be categorized into two types: active fire protection and passive fire protection. Active Fire Protection requires motion or movement in response to fire to combat it, and these elements are clearly seen in new constructions such as water sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and water hoses. Apart from this, active fire protection also incorporates some intangible aspects such as fire drills and training of occupants in response to fire. Any kind of right department or department will undertake when a fire erupts.

In contrast, Passive Fire Protection does not require any motion or movement and is construction-based. Fire-rated walls, smoke seals, and facade smoke barriers are some elements of passive fire protection. When it comes to fire-rated glass walls and partitions, glass is becoming an increasingly popular choice due to its remarkable property of transparency and durability that no other building material can provide. Advances in material technology have enabled the use of large-sized glass formats that not only look aesthetically pleasing and in sync with the overall architectural intent but can provide very high levels of fire protection, mostly on an average of two hours.

How do fire-rated materials provide passive fire protection, and why is this important in building design?

Fire-rated materials need to possess the important capability of having low coefficients of expansions so that the effect of temperature rise is kept to a minimum and the overall structural integrity of the base material is preserved. Within this space, glass offers a remarkable option to create fire-rated barriers and can protect against flames or gases as well as temperature rise. The biggest benefit of glass is its ability to offer transparency, and this becomes a critical element in the event of a fire where visibility becomes key and could be the difference between life and death. Apart from this, from an architectural perspective, glass as a material is very bespoke and can be tailored to suit architectural needs as far as surface treatments and sizes go.

How is the fire resistance of materials tested, and what standards or codes are used to regulate fire safety in buildings?

As with any product, glass also has to be tested as per certain standards that determine the rate of temperature rise as well as the pressure. Internationally, the European and American standards are perhaps the most popular and cater to most building types as well as applications. Closer to home, we now have Indian standards, the IS3614, IS16945 and IS16947, that are designed to test as well as specify the properties of fire-rated glass and other elements.

The huge sport you would search for in the usage of fire-rated glazed doors and partitions, as well as facades, means that several tests are now getting conducted in national and international laboratories to test various systems, application spaces, and material types. It is extremely important for the client, at the time of finalizing the contract, to understand the finer nuances of this testing and ensure that whatever material is being used adheres strictly to these test protocols as well as performs as per the test requirements.

What are some challenges associated with using fire-rated materials in building design, and how can these be addressed?

Since fire-heated glass and glazing is a relatively new building material that has been in existence for just over a decade, awareness of this product in the general market is not very high. In such cases, the client needs to be properly educated in an unbiased way on the usage of fire-rated glass partitions and doors, as well as the type of materials that are used to create these.

There are several specifications that are now available in the market, designed to suit particular manufacturers, and this is not in the larger interest of the construction industry. Care has to be taken by specifiers, as well as designers and architects, to create specifications that provide a fair and equal platform for participants to bid so that the latest technologies and materials can be used.