Fire-Rated Glass
Fire-rated glass is a specialty safety glazing designed to act as a barrier against the spread of flames and smoke for a specified duration, typically ranging from 20 to 180 minutes. Unlike standard glass, which can shatter at relatively low temperatures (around 250° F), fire-rated glass is engineered to withstand extreme heat and the thermal shock of water from fire hoses.
Manko is proud to offer Pyran® Platinum F (filmed) and Pyran® Platinum L (laminated) from Schott. The Pyran® Platinum products are a fire-protective and impact-safety-rated glazing material made from a transparent glass‑ceramic. Manko stocks, cuts in-house, and delivers Pyran® Platinum filmed and laminated products.
Fire-protective glass prevents the passage of flames and smoke but does not block radiant heat. Fire-resistive glass provides a full barrier against flames, smoke, and radiant heat, and must be installed into fire-resistive framing.
Manko is proud to offer Pyran® Platinum F (filmed) and Pyran® Platinum L (laminated) from Schott. The Pyran® Platinum products are a fire-protective and impact-safety-rated glazing material made from a transparent glass‑ceramic. Manko stocks, cuts in-house, and delivers Pyran® Platinum filmed and laminated products.
Fire-protective glass prevents the passage of flames and smoke but does not block radiant heat. Fire-resistive glass provides a full barrier against flames, smoke, and radiant heat, and must be installed into fire-resistive framing.
Pyran® Platinum F
- Hose-Stream tested
- Impact-safety-rated
- Approximately 3/16" thickness
- Surface-applied safety film
- Fire-rated for up to 90-min with required hose‑stream test
- Fire-rated for up to 180-min in doors with required hose‑stream test
- Withstands thermal shock
- Passes positive pressure test standard UL
- Enhanced clarity without the amber tint
Pyran® Platinum L
- Hose-Stream tested
- Impact-safety-rated
- Approximately 3/8" thickness
- Surface-applied safety film
- Fire-rated for up to 90-min with required hose‑stream test
- Fire-rated for up to 180-min in doors with required hose‑stream test
- Withstands thermal shock
- Passes positive pressure test standard UL
- Enhanced clarity without the amber tint
The Fire Endurance test subjects a full-size window or door assembly to a controlled time-temperature profile in a furnace. The test duration is 20 minutes up to three hours, depending on the desired rating, with temperatures reaching nearly 2000 °F in three hours. The window assembly including frame, glazing and components must not allow flames on the non-fire side, and the glazing must survive the test without breaking or cracking.
Immediately following the Fire Endurance test, the fire-exposed side of the test assembly is subject to impact from water blast in a prescribed pattern for duration appropriate to the specimen size. The glazing must remain intact in the frame.
In installations where accidental human impact could occur, fire-rated glazing must also withstand impact tests. The impact test uses a 100-lb weight swung from a pendulum at 48-inch drop height. The glazing must remain intact with no significant openings
Pyran® Platinum F sheet size of 51" x 99"
Pyran® Platinum L sheet size of 51" x 99"
While commercial clear float glass is often described as colorless, it naturally exhibits a slight green or blue-green tint. For applications requiring maximum color neutrality, low-iron glass should be considered. Many laminated interlayers block ultraviolet light and may also slightly reduce visible light transmission, which can result in a subtle yellow appearance—particularly in thicker laminates or multi-ply constructions. When low-emissivity (low-e) or reflective coatings are incorporated into laminated glass, placing the coating in contact with the interlayer can alter its refractive index, potentially causing a perceived color shift. As a result, a coating may appear differently in a laminated assembly than in an insulated glass unit.
Optical distortion—both reflected and transmitted—may result from heat treatment, glass thickness variability, framing system stresses, and changes in exterior wind or interior building pressures. Laminated glass assemblies often incorporate multiple plies of heat-treated glass to meet performance requirements. Inherent characteristics of heat-treated glass include bow, roll wave, and picture-frame distortion. While fabricators take steps to minimize these effects, they cannot be eliminated. Distortion is further accentuated when reflective coatings or tinted substrates are used. Manko strongly recommends evaluating a full-size mock-up under actual project conditions.
Under certain lighting or viewing conditions, laminated glass may exhibit iridescent patterns or dark shadowing, commonly referred to as strain patterns or anisotropy. These patterns are caused by stresses introduced during the heat-treatment process and are inherent to heat-treated glass. While typically not visible, strain patterns may become more pronounced at extreme viewing angles or under polarized light. Thicker laminated assemblies may increase the visibility of these patterns. This phenomenon is not indicative of discoloration or material inconsistency.
Due to the technical complexity of laminated glazing systems, early collaboration between design professionals, fabricators, and suppliers is essential. Understanding the construction and inherent characteristics of laminated glass is critical to achieving optimal performance in safety, security, hazard resistance, and acoustic applications. As laminate thickness and ply count increases, the potential for optical distortion also increases. Full-size mock-ups are strongly recommended to evaluate appearance under project-specific lighting, environmental, and viewing conditions, particularly in applications involving visual movement behind the glass.
