Magazine

Designing curtain walling to prevent the spread of fire

Raya Trifonova, Head of International Business Development - Façade Engineering, has co-authored a paper on the fire safety of conventional glass-aluminium façades. 

Fire blog

Fire compartmentation is fundamental to preventing the spread of fire in a tall building.

 

Compartmentation is achieved through the provision of fire resisting walls and floors. This makes it critical that, when a building is wrapped in curtain walling, the envelope does not compromise the fire compartmentation at the spandrel zone.

 

There are some misconceptions regarding the specification of curtain walls that comply with the standard BS EN 1364 - 4 Fire resistance tests for non-loadbearing elements. Curtain walling - part configuration. These are that fire compartmentation will be maintained if the façade complies with Building Regulations and is tested and classified to the relevant test standards. Our research suggests that curtain walls specified to the standards used in Europe will not necessarily guarantee fire compartmentation.

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The latest research

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Our most important mission in the façade industry is to create building envelopes that are safe and resilient. With no other topic does this ring more true than fire safety. Schüco does some of the most advanced research in the field. 

 

One of the company’s leaders on the topic of fire safety, Raya Trifonova, has co-authored a paper with TECNALIA Research & Innovation presenting some of our latest findings.

 

Download the paper.  (pdf, 622.6 KB)

 

Fire safety of conventional curtain walls: analysis of common misconceptions and evidence-based critical review of test standard EN 1364-4.

Schüco Deflame

To ensure its curtain walling systems can maintain fire compartmentation, Schüco developed a range of solutions. Schüco Deflame is a fire-resistant spandrel zone that is fully integrated in the conventional Schüco FWS 50/60 mullion-transom façade and in the unitised façades AF UDC 80 and AF UDC 80 SG. 

 

Classifications according to BS EN 13501-2: Deflame FWS 50/ 60 EI 90 and EI 60 for the façade, EI 90 and EI 120 for the perimeter seal; Deflame AF UDC 80 EI 30 and EI 90- for both façade and perimeter seal; Deflame AF UDC 80 SG EI 120 for both façade and perimeter seal. 

 

For more information on Schüco curtain walling systems click here

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