Walking on glass: Clear floor system offers largest two-hour fire- resistive panels

A new patent-pending glass floor system offers easy installation, a maintenance-free design, and the largest panelized sizes available, according to the maker. The GPX FireFloor System is a single glass unit composed of custom SuperLite II-XL glazing combined with a tempered laminated non-slip walking surface and a fire-resistive-rated structural steel framing grid.

The framing grid is shipped prefabricated and in sections for ease of installation in the field. Its design allows installers to set the structural frame and load each glass panel from the top. This is in contrast to traditional glass-floor systems, which require the installer to set the structural frame first, then the walking surface (which is loaded from the top) and the fire-resistive glass (which is loaded separately from the bottom).

The GPX FireFloor System seals the walkable surface and the fire-resistive glazing together in a single unit to eliminate condensation and the desiccant bags used to combat these problems.

The system uses the largest tested and listed individual glass panels for two-hour fire-resistive glass floor applications. The maximum individual panel area is 40.9 sf for fully supported panels, 25.7 sf for butt-glazed floor panels.

The GPX FireFloor System was tested with a load of 100 psf and is available with load spans up to 50 feet. It can be used in both interior and exterior applications and comes in multiple glass make-ups and frame finishes.