Repère Architectural | News
On a drawing, a 60-minute rated glazed transom looks like a 60-minute rated glazed transom. At tender, two products carry the same rating and the price gap is significant. The cheaper one gets chosen.
Then the inspector shows up, and the question lands: does that glazing block radiant heat?
It’s the most misunderstood distinction in fire-rated glazing, and it’s the starting point for every successful specification.
Two families, two functions
Fire-protective glazing contains flames and smoke for the duration of its rating. It does not block radiant heat. Someone passing that glazing during a fire is exposed to thermal radiation capable of igniting paper, textiles or clothing several metres away.
Fire-resistive glazing contains flames, smoke and radiant heat. It’s evaluated as a wall element, with a temperature-rise criterion on the non-fire side.
Both are legitimate. They simply aren’t interchangeable, and the code limits where the first can be used.
PYRAN® Platinum is a fire-protective glazing. That’s worth knowing at the first sketch, not at spec review.
What PYRAN® Platinum is
PYRAN® Platinum is a transparent glass-ceramic manufactured in Germany by SCHOTT on a next-generation float line. Glassopolis is the North American distributor.
| Material | transparent glass-ceramic |
| Thickness | 3/16″ (5 mm) |
| UL rating | up to 90 minutes, up to 3 hours in doors |
| Hose stream | included |
| Maximum size | 51″ x 99″ |
| Impact safety | available to ANSI Z97.1 and CPSC 16CFR1201 (Cat. I and II) |
Three versions cover the range of situations:
PYRAN® Platinum: base version, no impact safety rating. For transoms and windows outside designated safety locations.
PYRAN® Platinum L: laminated version with impact safety rating.
PYRAN® Platinum F: surface-applied 3M Scotchshield Ultra film, with impact safety rating. For door lites, transoms, sidelites and windows requiring both a fire rating and impact resistance.
A complete vision lite kit for doors is also available.
The optical advantage
This is the part architects notice first in a sample presentation.
Traditional rolled glass-ceramics run yellow-brown and often require corrective grinding and polishing. PYRAN® Platinum, produced by float process, carries a faint grey-green cast comparable to ordinary glass, and needs no surface correction.
In a lobby, stairwell or corridor where fire-rated glazing is continuously visible, that colour difference is noticeable to the naked eye.
One detail worth knowing: the manufacturing process can produce small optical imperfections, bubbles or knots. SCHOTT states these do not impair transparency or technical performance, and are not grounds for rejection or replacement. Better to raise it with the client before delivery than after.
What to watch when specifying
The 100 square inch limit. In temperature-rise doors, typically exit stairways and exit passageways, fire-protective glazing area is capped at roughly 100 square inches. Beyond that, fire-resistive glazing is required. This is the constraint that kills the most specifications: the full-height vision panel drawn at concept won’t pass in a stairwell door.
The frame must carry the same rating. PYRAN® Platinum must only be installed in frames and assemblies listed for the same rating. A 90-minute glazing in a 45-minute frame gives you a 45-minute assembly, at best.
Glazing components are specified. Setting blocks must be calcium silicate or hardwood, and glazing tape must be classified for PYRAN® Platinum: closed-cell PVC, Fiberfrax tape or equivalent. Stop height must match the UL classification. These aren’t negotiable field details.
Canadian codes. In Canada the applicable standards are CAN/ULC (S104 for doors, S106 for windows, S101 for fire-resistive assemblies) rather than the American equivalents. Always confirm the application with the authority having jurisdiction before finalizing the spec.
Version F and sunlight. The filmed version should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Worth considering for any transom or window on a facade.
Why go through Glassopolis
Glassopolis introduced fire-rated glass-ceramics to North America forty years ago and has sold more than ten million panels. They provide full UL certification on every fire-rated product sold, with each lite labelled with product details and rating.
Add to that their service speed: quotations within hours for most applications, and cutting and shipping from the central warehouse generally within 48 hours.
We represent Glassopolis across Quebec and the Ottawa and National Capital Region. To confirm a fire-rated application on a live project, request a sample, or get specification support, get in touch.