Fire Rated Internal Screens

[Stephen-00A]

Hi,

I am designing internal screens for a Residential Care Home,

the screens will be located in a 30 minute fire rated wall (block masonry) between a day room and a protected escape corridor, this section of corridor also provides access to a two bedrooms,

The base of the screens will be between 1.1m and 1.2m above floor level and have a top height of 2.1m above floor level,

My question is do i need to spec the glass for the screens as 30 minute fire-rated integrity and insulation or as 30 minuted fire-rated integrity only?

 

thanks for any advice

Regards,

Stephen.

[Tom Sutton]

I will call it a borrowed light as opposed to a screen and to my knowledge an escape routes less than 1.8 m, escapees have to be protected from radiated heat, in this case from the day room if involved in fire. There are two means of protection, by allowing the sill of the borrowed light to be located above 1.2 m above the floor level so escapees can crouch down and crawl pass the borrowed light avoiding the radiated heat. The second is to provide insulated fire resistant glass.

In most circumstances insulated FRG would not be required but because it is a Residential Care Home, can you expect older residents to crouch down or wheelchairs to pass the borrowed light. So I would suggest you would require insulated FRG.