6 Benefits Of Fire Resistant Glazing And Aluminium Framing
Many believe that in order to create a truly fire safe product, you need to utilize the heaviest and most dense materials. This belief leads to solutions that are effective when a fire occurs however damage the comfortability of your home or building when there is not a fire. The use of materials such as steel and stainless steel, whilst effective, are highly costly, lack thermal performance and do not offer a wide range of design options.
A solution to this issue is the new Aluminium framed fire resistant glazing solutions provided by GreeneFire. By utilizing AluFlam’s state of the art insulated aluminium framing, GreeneFire are able to create the same level of fire resistant performance without hindering the performance and comfortability of your home.
Lets see just how aluminium framing can be the most effective solution for fire resistant glazing issues, with
5. Carbon footprint
It is of growing importance that we ensure we minimise our carbon footprint as best we can. This requires us to use sustainable materials and focus on a passive design when designing a home or building. Aluminium has one of the highest recycling rates of any metal and is an environmentally sustainable material (Recycling aluminium requires only 5% of the initial energy consumed to create it).
The DEWHA. 2008 states that Australian households contribute to 20% of Australia’s green house emissions. It also states that on average 46% of total energy usage within homes is attributed to heating and lighting. By managing the heating and lighting of your home through the use of natural methods, you will greatly reduce your energy expenditure and carbon footprint. Aluminium framing’s strong thermal regulation reduces the need for many applications such as air-conditioners and heaters. Furthermore, the natural lighting that our glazing solutions provide allows for less consistent use of artificial lighting, reducing your energy output and carbon footprint.
These factors make our aluminium framing completely self-reliant requiring virtually no maintenance. As per AS1851 a simple inspection is all that is required.
If you wish to learn more about how we can help you find a solution for your glazing issues, visit out website at www.greenefire.com.au or you can call us at (02) 9526 3100.
Our top 6 benefits of using aluminium framing
1. Thermal performance
Many fire resistant windows are created from heavy, dense steels causing a lack of thermal performance and temperature regulation. Aluminium provides strong insulation to limit heat loss and the entry of cold draughts. This enhances the comfortability of your home and reduces the requirement for air-conditioning or heating. Aluminium is not normally known for its fire resistant properties. However, by utilizing an air-rated cement core, the framing can withstand heats well beyond its normal limits.2. Energy efficiency
By enhancing temperature control, you are not required to use things such as air conditioning and heating as often. Furthermore by increasing natural lighting, you are not required to use artificial lighting as often. This greatly increases your energy efficiency and the performance of your home. By utilizing the thermal and lighting benefits of aluminium not only can it create a more comfortable home or building, but it also helps to shave unnecessary dollars off your energy bills.
3. Save Costs
Many people only consider material costs when specifying fire resistant glazing, most do not consider installation costs and transportation costs. Often steel framing is much heavier and more expensive and due to its immense weight, installation and shipping costs will be much higher as more labor, and equipment may be required. Aluminium framing is much lighter and made from much more sustainable materials making it a more cost-effective material. Furthermore, due to its lighter weight and greater flexibility, installation costs will be much lower as less labor, and equipment is required.SMOKE LEAKAGE
As there is no specific Australian design guidance for Smoke Curtains, designers should consult the European Standard EN12101-1:2005 – Smoke and heat control systems – Part 1: Specification for smoke barriers. This standard provides everything from performance requirements to evaluation of conformity and is a required starting point for all designers using smoke curtains. EN12101-1 also specifies the maximum acceptable amount of smoke leakage at the edge of a smoke curtain to ensure that any opening allows only minimal amounts of smoke to pass through. Whilst the designer can specify to minimise gaps down to 0mm, maximum permissible gaps between a wall and smoke curtains are based on the height of the curtain and can be as follows:
6. Virtually No Maintenance
Aluminium has many benefits that other materials do not. These include:- Naturally corrosion resistant
- Resistant to rusting
- Resistant to weathering under a range of harsh environmental conditions
- Does not swell
- Does not crack
- Does not split
- Does not warp over time