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SuperLite® II-XLM 120 clear butt-glazed walls with 9 ft. GPX® Builders Series 90 minute Temperature Rise doors creates a light-filled, transparent 2-hour stairwell that is on-brand with Waste Management’s new Houston Headquarters.

SAFTI FIRST® developed, engineered and successfully tested the first-ever fire and hurricane rated assembly for the Las Olas Beach Club and Condominium, a luxurious multi-family residence in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The architect wanted to design the units with as much glazing as possible so residents can enjoy views of the surrounding area from their homes.

The University of Wisconsin School of Business Grainger Hall’s east and west wings are now linked by a state-of-the-art Learning Commons that encourages collaboration through technology and design. To achieve maximum transparency while meeting code requirements, the architects specified 9 ft. tall, clear, fire resistive butt-glazed walls using SuperLite® II-XLM in GPX® Architectural Series perimeter framing.

The David Eccles School of Business on the University of Utah campus features a 28- x 18-ft 2 hour interior glass wall with a 90 minute full-vision door in an exit enclosure/stairwell. The architects selected fire rated glass to meet fire rating requirements while providing maximum visibility and natural daylighting in the space. The project’s specifications also required the fire rated glass to have the same optical clarity as the adjacent non-rated glass systems.

The architects at Morris Adjmi wanted large, 11-ft. tall glass walls to highlight the breathtaking views for the reimagined Warehouse in New York City’s growing architectural wonderland of Chelsea. However, the building was on a lot line, mandating 2 hour fire walls. SAFTI FIRST® made this dream a reality by supplying the largest tested and listed 2 hour fire resistive glazing available today. The inclusion of low-iron glass in the fire-resistive glazing units ensured superior clarity and aesthetic continuity with the adjacent non-rated windows. The fire resistive units incorporated high performance glazing and were filled with argon for energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

Steel: unparalleled fire safety Life safety, and specifically fire protection, has been a primary concern of the building codes. Steel is a non-combustible material and consequently does not burn, provide an ignition source or add fuel load that would enable a fire to spread or grow into a catastrophic event. Steel does not melt at temperatures typically encountered in a building fire. Its non-combustibility and assembly fire ratings do not degrade over the lifecycle of a building. This provides a reduced fire risk, to workers and occupants, minimizes the impact on municipal fire services, decreases the reliance on sprinklers, and results in less property damage and collateral damage to adjacent buildings if a fire should ever occur. • Steel has a melting point of approximately 1,500ºC (2,700ºF). In a typical fire, such as in an office, residential or retail occupancy, the maximum temperature of a fully developed fire will not likely exceed a range of 800ºC to 900ºC (1,500ºF to 1,650ºF), though it could reach a peak of 1,100ºC (2,000ºF) for a short duration. • Building codes recognize the fact that buildings, designed with non-combustible materials like steel, pose less of a fire risk to the public than combustible systems, which are limited to six storeys in height in Canada and 25.9m (85 ft.) in the US. STEEL IS A NON-COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL AND CONSEQUENTLY DOES NOT BURN, nor does it provide an ignition source or add fuel load that would enable a fire to spread or grow into a catastrophic event. “Changes in the building codes that allow combustible framing in taller and larger buildings have gone too far and it’s created a perfect storm that can quickly overwhelm the ability of the fire service to respond.” CHIEF STEVE LOHR, HAGERSTOWN (MD) FIRE DEPARTMENT