The benefits of fire resistant glazing in retail environments
Retail buildings take many forms from the smallest independent shop units, food and drink kiosks and trade counters to multi-storey shopping centres and car showrooms.
Despite their variation in size and purpose, there is one overriding design goal that is likely to apply to all types of retail outlet. That is the creation of an attractive and appealing environment in which customers will feel comfortable and engaged, whilst also being confident that they will be safe in the event of a fire.
Glass is a widely used material in retail buildings because of how it allows light to flood rooms and maintain visual connectivity between different parts of the building. It can be both a design feature or work to be almost invisible to allow other design elements, branding or product displays to take the limelight.
Spaces often feel bigger when glass is used extensively, helping to deliver light and airy environments. Glass partitions and glass doors are commonly used to create meeting rooms and consultation areas, because of the way they can enable the layout to feature private areas without creating barriers that would impact on aesthetics.
Fire rated glazing from Promat plays a critical role in retail environments because of its multi-functionality and assured performance. Promat SYSTEMGLAS® is a fire resistant glazing system which is fully tested as a complete assembly – the glass, framing, seals and any other components – to offer peace of mind in terms of its performance. And it can provide dependable fire protection while at the same time enabling acoustic, thermal and additional safety objectives to be achieved.
In addition, Promat SYSTEMGLAS® does not constrain aesthetic ambitions in the pursuit of fire safety. It is available in four framing types to cater for contemporary and traditional retail buildings – the steel frame SYSTEMGLAS Ferro, a timber frame version in SYSTEMGLAS Ligna, plus two versions which use a calcium silicate based material to construct the frame called PROMATECT®-H.
One of these systems is SYSTEMGLAS Advenerat, which is designed to be painted or over-clad to offer huge creative potential, and the other enables the frame to be concealed within the walls, floor and ceiling surrounding the glass for a ‘frameless’ appearance – SYSTEMGLAS Celare.
The scope for using SYSTEMGLAS in retail applications is, therefore, extensive as several examples from Czechia show. In one project, Promat SYSTEMGLAS® was used to create a fire-resistant dividing wall within a car dealership in the town of Čestlice near Prague. This separated the customer waiting area from the workshop to allow customers to see vehicle technicians at work and maximise the transparency of their activities. Here SYSTEMGLAS with concealed framing was specified with anEI60 fire rating.
In another project in the city of Brno, EI60 rated SYSTEMGLAS was chosen for another virtually frameless look. It was installed in a major bathroom products showroom to form a glass wall with a corner connection without the need for profile protection.
A third recent retail project that has benefited from Promat’s fire glass expertise is a large shopping centre in the city of Liberec in northern Czechia. At the Amadeus Liberec Shopping Centre, another Promat system was used to create a walk-on glass floor to enhance the aesthetics of the public areas and allow light transmission between floors.
Here, SYSTEMGLAS® Stratum was used to create a structural glass floor featuring fire resistant glazing with integrity and insulation protection (EI). It is an ideal system for use in busy, high footfall buildings because it can be specified in patterned and non-slip options, adding further aesthetic and safety dimensions.
Every Promat SYSTEMGLAS® installation benefits from Promat UK’s 360 Degree Wheel of Assurance to provide full traceability in respect of the fire resistant glazing supply chain. Promat has oversight of the complete process, from specification through to installation, with the system manufactured in-house and fitted only by a Promat approved installer.
This means a certificate of conformity can be issued on completion following an inspection by a Promat expert for additional peace of mind for building owners in line with the golden thread.
