Fire resistance tests of large glazed aluminium curtain wall test specimens – results comparison

Four test specimens, glazed aluminium curtain walls in full configuration, were tested. Curtain walls had the same transom – mullion structure, with: • transoms and mullions made of the same aluminium profiles, with two types of insulation inserts (in each test one type of the insulation inserts), • glass panes of the same glass product group and dimensions of: ◦ 1680 × 3198 mm (width × height) for biggest glass pane orientated vertically, ◦ 1980 × 1628 mm (width × height) for biggest glass pane orientated horizontally. • non-transparent panels of the same construction and dimensions, • similar design (profiles, and consequently glass panes and panels of the same construction on the exposed area). Two test specimens were tested for external fire exposure, and two for standard fire exposure. Dimensions of exposed surfaces were 5000 × 4500 mm (width × height) for external fire exposure and 5000 × 4800 mm (width × height) for internal fire exposure. As a result the heated area was over 2 times greater than the minimum heated area required in EN 1364-3:2006 [3]. The distance between the mullion fixing anchors was 5000 mm in both cases. All tested specimens were of the same transom – mullion structure with aluminium profiles sections of 50 × 115 mm (transoms) and 50 × 130 mm (mullions), fig. 1. Two types of insulations inserts were used in profiles, each type for pair of tests (external and internal fire exposure). Two types of glass panes were used in test specimens, each type for pair of tests (external and internal fire exposure). Glass panes were of symmetrical structure.


INTRODUCTION
In this paper comparison of fire resistance test results of large -minimum dimension of 5250 × 5725 mm (width x height) -glazed aluminium curtain wall test specimens is presented.Comparison has been made for different sides of fire exposure, different material of profile insulation inserts and different thickness of glass panes.

TEST SPECIMENS
Four test specimens, glazed aluminium curtain walls in full configuration, were tested.Curtain walls had the same transom -mullion structure, with: • transoms and mullions made of the same aluminium profiles, with two types of insulation inserts (in each test one type of the insulation inserts), • glass panes of the same glass product group and dimensions of: • 1680 × 3198 mm (width × height) for biggest glass pane orientated vertically, • 1980 × 1628 mm (width × height) for biggest glass pane orientated horizontally.
• non-transparent panels of the same construction and dimensions, • similar design (profiles, and consequently glass panes and panels of the same construction on the exposed area).Two test specimens were tested for external fire exposure, and two for standard fire exposure.
Dimensions of exposed surfaces were 5000 × 4500 mm (width × height) for external fire exposure and 5000 × 4800 mm (width × height) for internal fire exposure.As a result the heated area was over 2 times greater than the minimum heated area required in EN 1364EN -3:2006 [3] [3].The distance between the mullion fixing anchors was 5000 mm in both cases.
All tested specimens were of the same transom -mullion structure with aluminium profiles sections of 50 × 115 mm (transoms) and 50 × 130 mm (mullions), fig. 1.Two types of insulations inserts were used in profiles, each type for pair of tests (external and internal fire exposure).Two types of glass panes were used in test specimens, each type for pair of tests (external and internal fire exposure).Glass panes were of symmetrical structure.a e-mail: b.sedlak@itb.plb e-mail: j.kinowski@itb.plc e-mail: a.borowy@itb.plThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Figure 2 .Figure 3 .
Figure 2. Thermocouples arrangement on the unexposed surface of tested specimen and location of the thermocouples on the profiles.

Figure 4 .Figure 5 .
Figure 4. Comparison of average temperature rises on unexposed surface of glass pane with the largest area depending on the side of fire exposure; glass pane type 2; G6(60E) -external fire exposure, G6(60I) -internal fire exposure.

Figure 6 .
Figure 6.Comparison of average temperature rises on unexposed surface of transoms depending on the side of fire exposure; insulation insert type 2; T(60E) -external fire exposure, T(60I) -internal fire exposure.

Figure 7 .
Figure 7. Differences between the average temperature rises on the unexposed surface of specimen tested for external fire exposure and specimen tested for internal fire exposure; insulation inserts type 1, M(30E-I)mullions, T(30E-I) -transoms.

Figure 8 .Figure 9 .
Figure 8. Differences between the average temperature rises on the unexposed surface of specimen tested for external fire exposure and specimen tested for internal fire exposure; insulation inserts type 2, M(60E-I)mullions, T(60E-I) -transoms.

Figure 10 .Figure 11 .
Figure 10.Comparison of average temperature rises on unexposed surface of mullions depending on the type of insulations inserts, internal fire exposure; T(30I) -insulation inserts type 1, T(60I) -insulation inserts type 2.