Global interest in load-bearing glazing faces fire safety challenges. Studies confirm glass beams lack inherent fire resistance.1–4. Critical aspects include the low transformation and melting temperature of glass making it unsuitable for fire-resistant structures. Soda lime silicate glass (SLG) exhibits a transformation temperature of approximately 530 °C.5 This temperature is reached in under 4 min during standard fire testing.6 However, core temperatures in monolithic and thicker laminated components remain uncertain. Moreover, the efficacy of conventional fire protection measures, such as fire-resistant coatings, restricts transparency of the glass1. Fire-resistant glazing for compartmentalization (achieving up to 120 min fire resistance) is established, but load-bearing fireresistant glazing remains experimental.
The FiReGlass project (TUD Dresden University of Technology and industry partners) aimed to enhance structural glass beam fire resistance without reducing transparency. This involved testing beams protected with fire-resistant gel. The paper outlines the test concept along with planning, execution, and evaluation. Insights aim to reduce errors and establish reproducible methods for future fire tests.