Fire Rated Glass

Fire-Rated Glass — Clear and Wired, 1-Hour and 2-Hour Fire Resistance

Not all glass resists fire. Ordinary float glass shatters within minutes of fire exposure. Toughened (tempered) glass, while stronger mechanically, also fails rapidly in fire. Even ordinary wired glass, historically used in fire door vision panels, provides only limited and inconsistent fire resistance. True fire-rated glass is an engineered product — manufactured specifically to maintain performance through the duration of a standardised fire test.

Types of Fire-Rated Glass

Clear Fire-Rated Glass (Integrity + Insulation): Manufactured using multiple layers of specialised glass bonded with transparent intumescent interlayers. On fire exposure, the interlayers foam and opacify, creating an insulating barrier that limits heat transfer through the glass. This type provides both integrity (no flame breakthrough) and insulation (limiting the temperature rise on the cold face) — the highest performance classification for fire-rated glazing. Available in 1-hour and 2-hour ratings. Provides fully transparent, unobstructed vision in normal use. Preferred for full-glazed fire doors, large vision panels, and glazed partition assemblies where visual openness is important.

Wired Fire-Rated Glass (Integrity Only): Conventional wired glass with a welded wire mesh embedded in the glass body. The wire holds glass fragments in position if the glass cracks under thermal stress, maintaining the integrity of the fire barrier. Does not provide insulation — the cold face temperature rises significantly during the rated period. Suitable for lower-specification vision panel applications where insulation performance is not required. Available in 1-hour rating.

Applications

Vision panels in wooden and steel fire doors (IS:3614 specifies maximum vision panel size by door type and rating). Full-glazed fire door assemblies (IFES Glazed Fire Door and Glazed Fire Door with Partition). Fixed partition sidelite panels in fire-rated assemblies. Fire-rated interior glazed screens and partitions requiring compartmentation without visual separation.

Cutting and Supply

IFES supplies fire-rated glass cut to size for any door or partition opening. Minimum and maximum panel dimensions are governed by the glass type and fire rating — our technical team advises on permissible panel sizes for each application. Glass is supplied with fire test certificates and manufacturer documentation for fire NOC submissions.