Features of reinforced glass
This glass can split into a huge number of fragments, but never fall out of its mount. Therefore, it is used in places of possible occurrence of smoke and fire, as a fire partition. Applied on staircases, in utility rooms and in the arrangement of light-permeable partitions in large areas. Its integrity with a large leaf size is higher than that of conventional glass.
And the latter rarely make a large size, it is dangerous even for drafts. Also, the reinforced type is used in the production of lanterns, various anti-vandal designs, in double-glazed windows for balconies, terraces and loggias. Its use in warehouses of combustible materials has already become the standard of fire safety.
Technical characteristics of reinforced glass
Reinforced glass, the technical characteristics of which have their advantages and disadvantages, are manufactured using a metal mesh. The grid is made of chrome or nickel-plated steel wire 4-19 mm in diameter, the cells are square or hexagonal.
The grid is imprinted inside 1.5 mm from the surface. The total thickness of the sheet is 5-6 mm, the maximum size is 1500х2000 mm. Glass can be flat or wavy, transparent or colored, matte or polished. The color variant is obtained by adding metal oxides to a still liquid mass. These are rich shades of golden-yellow, green, pink-lilac and blue spectra. The surface can be cast or patterned, while the pattern of the pattern repeats the contours of the mesh.
As a rule, a lot of the product can tell GOST, the reinforced glass sheet according to these documents should have a mesh size of 12.5 to 25 mm, bubbles of 3 to 6 mm in size and foreign inclusions are not allowed. The main advantage is that the fragments are held in place by a grid, and cracking in case of fire or impact does not cause the formation of a fragmentation mass that can injure a person.
Fire and smoke can not overcome the glass, and the spread of the fire stops. The hit of stones or blows on it are also safe, the fragments remain in place. Of the two sheets of reinforced glass, triplex is made, and several of them are bullet-proof armored glass. He has only one drawback, this reduction in strength compared with the usual almost twice.
What is reinforced glass in operation?
How to cut reinforced glass? This is quite difficult, because the glass is bent over the incision line, but continues to hold onto the metal grid. In this case, the piece must be bent to the stop and bite off the pieces of the retaining wire. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to remove small pieces and adjust the canvas to fit.
Cutting reinforced glass is best performed on automatic carved tables, where high speed and precision cutting are ensured. When cutting, it is desirable to take into account the direction of the grid cells.
Reinforced glass 4 mm is most often used for the design of loggias, balconies and terraces, it is inserted into the joinery or aluminum profile for cold glazing. Special care for such material is not required, except for the removal of dust and dirt. But due to its fragility and low strength, it must be protected from mechanical damage, the sheet has to be replaced after the damage.
The aesthetic properties are great, the room can be saturated with color and protected from fire. Open the sheet can be any pattern, and use in public buildings will save a lot of lives. This is a long-term and reliable building material.