WATER IRRIGATION FOR PROTECTION OF TRIPLEX AT FIRE

The efficiency and the possibility of the realization of the original architectural solutions are the reasons for the increased use of the glass in the construction area in nowadays. This particularly applies to the high-rise buildings and the buildings crowded with people. The low fire resistance is the main disadvantage of the translucent structures. In initial stage of fire it could lead to rapid destruction. The glass destruction forms large and small fragments that represents the great threat for people and the firefighters falling from high places. Besides the glass destruction assists in the rapidfire spread. One way of improving the fire resistance of the translucent structures is to use the triplex. The triplex consists of two glasses, which are glued by the solid polymer films, but it was not proved experimentally. The result of the studies showed that the polymer films assist in the rapid-fire spread in building and along the facade systems particularly. Thermal decomposition of the films with the flame burning and the release of toxic products occurred under heating of the triplex. The surface temperature is higher than 350 °Ñ. As a result the fire resistance (the structure collapse) of such structures is equal to 30 minutes (E30). Therefore, it is necessary to protect triplex from influence of high temperatures in case of increasing the fire resistance. An effective way of increasing the fire resistance of the triplex is water spray systems. As a results of the small and large scale fire tests it has been established that the fire resistance increased twice and the temperature decreased to 100–150 °Ñ during water spray usage. The film saves the integrity during the time of fire tests (45 minutes). Thus the carried experiments showed that the water spray of the triplex lead to the increasing of the fire resistance from 3 to 45 minutes (EI45). The maximum effect could be achieved in case of steady water spray usage from the fire side.