Ghent University, Belgium
Glass has become an indispensable construction material. However, in extreme events such as fire, the behaviour of glass elements is still relatively unknown. The susceptibility of glass to thermal shock and its changeable material properties when subjected to high temperatures make predicting the behaviour of glass elements during fire complex.Practical applications of fire-resistant glazing, however,already exist as infill panels and frameless glass walls/doors, and are commonly used.
They are highly effective to maintain compartmentation, providing temporary protection of the unexposed side against the passage of flames and smoke and, depending on the classification, they also provide thermal insulation. This paper gives astate of the art overview of experimental research performed on glazing subjected to fire loading. Studies on temperature-dependent properties, monolithic glazing and layered glass products exposed to heating are summarised. The curren