With over 30 years of experience in the sector, we caught up with Andy Lake, UK & IRE Sales Director, to discuss how Pyroguard contributed to a residential project with their innovative new product, Pyroguard Balustrades.
"Available to specify through NBS Source, Pyroguard Balustrades is a toughened fire safety glass, manufactured to ‘Reaction to Fire’ classification A2-s1-d0. It is explicitly designed for balcony and balustrade applications and suitable for installation on buildings over 18-metres high (the first of its kind and patent pending)."
“In addition to its reaction to fire qualities, Pyroguard Balustrades also offer excellent light transmission and is certified to the 1B1 impact resistance rating (according to EN12600).”
The Grenfell Tower disaster in 2018 saw a ban placed on laminated glass for high-rise residential balconies due to the interlayer’s potential combustibility. However, increased demand for city-centre housing means many high-rise building projects have pushed ahead. As competition rises, developers have sought to include balconies as attractive outdoor spaces for residential buyers.
Pyroguard in action
“As glass manufacturers, we knew we needed to overcome the challenge posed by existing glass designs to re-establish it as a safe option for balcony applications.“One of the first projects to benefit from our material innovation was Quantock House in Taunton, Somerset, with an NHBC-accepted A2-s1-d0 glass balustrade system installed on its balconies.”
Quantock House is an eight-storey luxury residential development boasting a bar, bistro, activity room and private gardens alongside its range of one and two-bedroom apartments. Developed by Platinum Skies, part of the Affordable Housing and Healthcare Group, the project featured attractive glass balconies on each apartment which overlooked the surrounding hillside.
Having a balcony on this type of building meant residents had more access to outdoor space, increasing the appeal to buyers in a competitive market. However, the balcony needed a robust fire-rated glass balustrade to meet regulatory standards.
Pyroguard tests weathering with both laboratory and novel on-site testing in the Arizona desert, ensuring the glass performs when exposed to intense UV light radiation, temperatures and abrasion.
Specifying for high-rise buildings
One of the key benefits of listing products on NBS Source is that a manufacturer’s product data is easily accessible to specifiers. Reflecting on what it was like to work with Pyroguard, AMI’s Director Steve Furness said:
"When tasked with creating a fire-rated glass balustrade system, we struggled to find a solution suitable for buildings over the 18-metre threshold on the open market. Collaborating with Pyroguard, our design team was able to develop the AMI Fire-Tek Balustrade system."
As well as delivering effective fire protection, it was important that the glass used within our system adhered to the line load requirements associated with these types of high-rise buildings – Pyroguard Balustrades ticks all of the boxes. Our client was delighted with the end result, with our system design and the Pyroguard glass accepted by the NHBC for use on this development.”
As a specifier, you can learn more about Pyroguard and fire safety glazing by booking their CPD seminar, browsing their products via the NBS platform or by visiting their website.
