FAQs

No. Pilkington Pyroclear^® doesn’t have an interlayer and can be treated as any other glass product regarding internal or external application.

No. The performance of the product will be dependent on the specific design of the carrier system. Success in timber depends on our own proprietary developments and for metal systems we have tested in a range of the more common, proprietary systems. Details can be taken from our brochures or our website.

Yes. It achieves the highest possible classification for a toughened glass of Class 1(C)1.

No. There is no standard or certification basis for approving installers. Pilkington guidelines should, however, be followed in all cases.

Both products satisfy the requirements of the regulations for integrity only fire resistance.  Application and specification is determined in the first instance by the scope of the applicable test evidence, which differs for each product.  For more detailed performance and risk-based design then application and specification should be determined by the relative risk profiles of the two products. Pilkington Pyrodur^® Plus has a fire-resistant interlayer which turns opaque and provides some insulation against all heat transfer, whereas Pilkington Pyroclear^® remains clear allowing significant amounts of heat to be transmitted.

Both are 30 / 60 minute integrity only products but Pilkington Pyroshield™ is a wired glass whereas Pilkington Pyroclear^® is clear. Each has its own scope of application with sizes and framing determined by their respective test evidence.

This depends on the specific requirement in terms of size and volume. The product will be very carefully packaged and delivered where possible directly to the customer to avoid any additional handling.

These products all behave differently in a fire test.  However, the possibility of an assessment with Pilkington Pyroclear^® should be discussed with the organisation that issued the original assessment to establish whether or not this is possible. We would be happy to give permission for our test evidence to be used in support of assessments or approvals for Pilkington Pyroclear^®, where applicable.  Pilkington Pyroclear^® is in the process of gaining approval for the Certifire Scheme and the evidence will be circulated as soon as it is received.

Pilkington Pyroclear^® should be handled and glazed very carefully to avoid scratches which have the potential to introduce weakness. Specific technical advice should be sought on a case-by-case basis.

This depends whether it is an internal or external application. 

If external, then Pilkington Pyroclear^® is the inner pane. This is based on the presumption that the greatest risk comes from fire inside the building and that the objective is primarily compartmentation to keep the fire in its place of origin. That should be a major consideration, for example, to prevent flame break out and minimise the risk of fire movement to facing buildings or up the outside of a high rise from floor to floor.

If internal, then the orientation of the unit should be determined based on the most likely direction for protection against fire as part of the risk assessment. In those situations Pilkington Pyroclear^® may be used in conjunction with another toughened, laminated or coated glass as the second pane. 

Note that application, as always, is governed by the scope of test evidence.

No. Heat soaking crucially degrades the toughening level in the product. For external applications, Pilkington Pyroclear^® is used as the inner pane and heat soaked standard toughened can be used as the external pane if required.

It’s symmetrical. Application should always be governed by the test evidence available, as for every fire-resistant glass.

Yes. Information is available on the website at www.pilkington.com/CE.

No, but it is only available from the designated Pilkington UK manufacturing site because Pilkington Pyroclear^® depends on special equipment, special toughening criteria and particular manufacturing controls. Application also depends on our own test evidence which depends on proprietary glazed system developments.

No. Pilkington Pyroclear^® is fully toughened and is therefore thermally stable.

Yes. It will be stamped with the Pilkington Pyroclear^® name and will indicate the standards it meets, its origin and the fire-resistant performance it achieves. If it doesn’t have the name on then it should not be taken to be Pilkington Pyroclear^®. Make sure the product carries the Pilkington Pyroclear^® stamp.

Pilkington Pyroclear^® is ideal for timber doors being a cost effective, readily available solution for 30 minute integrity only fire resistance. It is also ideal for metal systems being the solution for large size integrity only fire resistance up to 60 minutes for applications such as external glazing, internal fully glazed doors and associated full height screens with a maximum tested size of 1.8 x 3.5 m to date.

Pilkington Pyroclear^® is a clear, monolithic super modified toughened glass which has been engineered to deliver integrity only fire resistance with unrivalled consistency, backed by a high level of testing synonymous with other products in our fire-resistant glass range. It is available in thicknesses of 6, 8 and 10 mm.

Maximum edge cover is 20 mm in steel frames. It is different for use in timber systems, normally maximum 15 mm however, in certain glazing systems larger edge cover may be possible, subject to Pilkington technical evaluation. In all cases, reference should be made to system test approvals. There should be no divergence from those approvals without further testing and confirmation. This is unlike other similar products where reduced edge cover is required to meet the test criteria.

Each order is custom-made and delivered within 5 – 7 days.

As with all Pilkington fire-resistant products we have undertaken extensive testing with consistent positive results that gives a confidence to put our name behind the product. We are also undertaking a wide ranging testing programme to broaden the range. Pilkington Pyroclear^® is approved by internationally recognised UK-based test houses to E30 and E60 and is CE marked. Pilkington Pyroclear^® has also been extensively approved by test in a variety of metal framing systems across Europe, and has a track record of use over several years in Japan.

At Pilkington Architectural in St Helens. This business specialises in highly processed and engineered product so is ideally qualified to manufacture to the highest quality with enhanced optics, flatness and strength.

The fire market in the UK has a significant integrity only sector which we currently address with Pilkington Pyroshield™ 2, Pilkington Pyrodur^® Plus and Pilkington Pyrodur^®, however there are applications and requirements for a product such as Pilkington Pyroclear^® therefore we were keen to ensure that we are able to provide the market with the most comprehensive offering.

With Pilkington Pyroclear^® we have addressed our concerns about this type of product through an extensive development programme to identify the key factors that lead to premature failure of toughened glass in fire. As a result we have developed a unique proprietary manufacturing system, put in place special controls appropriate to the product and tested extensively. We have therefore satisfied ourselves that we have the right product to meet our high standards which has demonstrated consistent results in test after test.