The David Eccles School of Business on the University of Utah campus is a new state-of-the-art teaching, learning, and research facility designed to meet future growth in student enrollment. SAFTI FIRST heard about this project following a successful AIA lunchtime presentation at MHTN Architects by Kevin Turner, SAFTI FIRST’s local architectural representative.
The design called for a 28- x 18-ft two-hour interior glass wall with a 90 minute full-vision door in an exit enclosure/stairwell. The architects selected fire rated glass to meet fire rating requirements while providing maximum visibility in the space. The project’s specifications also required the fire rated glass to have the same optical clarity as the adjacent non-rated glass systems.
To meet both the design and code requirements, SAFTI FIRST provided SuperLite II-XL 120 in GPX Framing for the walls and SuperLite II-XL 90 in GPX Door Framing for the full-vision door. With their clean lines, sharp edges and multiple finish options, the GPX Frames matched the non-rated storefront systems. Matching the optical clarity of the adjacent non-rated glazing was easily achieved through SuperLite II-XL’s superior optical clarity, free of wires or any tints.
In addition, designers were able to take advantage of SuperLite II-XL 120’s large clear view areas, which is currently the largest available in the market for 2-hour fire resistive applications.
Project Summary
Project: David Eccles School of Business, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City
Architect: MHTN Architects
Contract Glazier: Mollerup Glass
Products used: SuperLite II-XL 90/120 in GPX Framing
As far as the code requirements are concerned, 2-hour exit enclosures allow 90 min. doors with full vision lights using glazing tested to ASTME 119 for 90 minutes. Any other glazing in the enclosure wall, including sidelites and transoms around the door, must have a 2-hour rating that meets the ASTM E-119 wall requirements (see Tables 716.5 and 716.6 in the 2012 IBC).
SuperLite II-XL in GPX Framing meets the ASTM E-119 requirement for up to 2 hours and is impact safety rated to CPSC Cat. II, the maximum safety standard. This ability to block radiant heat transfer also made it possible to have a full-vision 90 minute door. If fire protective glazing such as wired glass and ceramics were used in the vision panel, it would be limited to 100 square inches.
At the end of the project, the architects were able to create a 2-hour exit enclosure/stairwell that provided vision and maximum fire safety using fire rated glazing that seamlessly matched the look of other non-rated glazing systems. As an additional benefit, natural daylight was also able to penetrate further into the building because of the transparency provided by the fire rated glass wall.
To locate the SAFTI FIRST representative in your area, click here. +
Related Stories
| May 25, 2011
Developers push Manhattan office construction
Manhattan developers are planning the city's biggest decade of office construction since the 1980s, betting on rising demand for modern space even with tenants unsigned and the availability of financing more limited. More than 25 million sf of projects are under construction or may be built in the next nine years.
| May 25, 2011
Olympic site spurs green building movement in UK
London's environmentally friendly 2012 Olympic venues are fuelling a green building movement in Britain.
| May 25, 2011
TOTO tests universal design at the AIA conference
If you could be 80 years old for 30 minutes—and have to readjust everything you think you know about your own mobility—would you do it?
| May 20, 2011
Hotels taking bath out of the bathroom
Bathtubs are disappearing from many hotels across the country as chains use the freed-up space to install ever more luxurious showers, according to a recent USAToday report. Of course, we reported on this move--and 6 other hospitality trends--back in 2006 in our special report "The Inn Things: Seven Radical New Trends in Hotel Design."
| May 19, 2011
BD+C’s "40 Under 40" winners for 2011
The 40 individuals profiled here are some of the brightest stars in the AEC universe—and they’re under the age of 40. These young architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and developers stood out among a group of 164 outstanding entrants in our sixth annual “40 Under 40” competition.
| May 18, 2011
Sanford E. Garner on the profitability of being diverse
Sanford E. Garner, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP ND, NCARB, founding partner and president of A2SO4 Architecture, LLC, Indianapolis, on gentrification, the profitability of being diverse, and his goals as NOMA president.
| May 18, 2011
8 Tips for Designing Wood Trusses
Successful metal-plate-connected wood truss projects require careful attention to detail from Building Team members.
| May 18, 2011
Major Trends in University Residence Halls
They’re not ‘dorms’ anymore. Today’s collegiate housing facilities are lively, state-of-the-art, and green—and a growing sector for Building Teams to explore.
| May 18, 2011
Former Bronx railyard redeveloped as shared education campus
Four schools find strength in numbers at the new 2,310-student Mott Haven Campus in New York City. The schools—three high schools and a K-4 elementary school—coexist on the 6.5-acre South Bronx campus, which was once a railyard.
