| Safety |
Is wired glass safe enough?
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In recent years there has been much debate and discussion about whether wired glass is still to be considered safe and fire resistant. The main problem behind the controversy is that people have suffered injuries in public places where wired glass was installed.
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 The most controversial wired glass is that installed in the windows and doors of schools and recreation centers. While wired glass can provide good resistance to the passage of flames and smoke, it is significantly weaker than ordinary tempered or laminated glass and can be more dangerous upon impact. Impact resistance is a very important factor in above-mentioned environments such as schools, kindergartens, recreation centers... For several years wired glass was the only type of glass that could pass the fire and impact resistance tests. With the development of new types of glass that outperform wired glass for both fire and impact safety, these debates have become even more persistent. Experts in favor of using other more sophisticated types of glass have questioned the purpose of using wired glass and accused it of being a factor behind numerous accidents. Some of them also even suggested a change in norms and regulations. On the other hand experts and producers in favor of wired glass blame the codes or improper installations for accidents. In the selected links you will find interesting debates and articles between these two sides, wired glass properties, regulators, etc.
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Photos: Saint Gobain
Last review: August, 2004 |
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| Other Net Sources |
US Glass
The debate on wired glass. Should it be still installed in public places or not?
Wired Warrior
Article dedicated to Bill O'Keefe and reasons why wired glass should not be installed in public places.
Wired Glass
Description of the term Wired glass.
Construction Guide
The importance of glass in case of fire.
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