Why Fire Rated Glass is Essential for Data Centre Fire Protection

Modern data centres are expected to operate at 99.999% uptime, leaving almost no room for unexpected shutdowns.

When fire strikes a data centre, it can disrupt business operations, cause financial losses, and affect millions of users worldwide. This is why protecting data centres from fire has become more critical than ever before.

Let's explore how installing fire rated glass can transform your facility's fire protection strategy while maintaining the high standards your customers expect.

What Are Data Centres and Why Are They Prone to Fire?

Data centres are specialised facilities that house large banks of servers, storage systems, and networking equipment. These facilities process, store, and distribute vast amounts of digital information 24/7. However, their design and operation make them particularly vulnerable to fire incidents.

High-density power usage creates intense heat loads that can overwhelm cooling systems. UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and battery systems store massive amounts of electrical energy, which can become dangerous if compromised.

Electrical faults in power distribution units, server racks, or cable management systems can spark fires without warning. Additionally, overheated infrastructure components can ignite surrounding materials.

What makes data centre fires particularly dangerous is how quickly they can spread. In high-airflow environments designed to cool equipment, fires can travel rapidly through cable pathways and rack gaps.

This rapid spread makes fire protection measures essential in data centres. Traditional suppression systems alone may not be enough to contain a fire before it causes significant damage or downtime.

Vetrotech Zahnklinik Tübingen Contraflam Structure Project Image 005

Top 5 Benefits of Installing Fire Rated Glass in Data Centres

Certified fire rated glass provides passive protection that modern suppression systems cannot offer alone. This glazing system has become an indispensable part of fire protection best practices of data centres. Here are the five key benefits:

1. Compartmentalises Fire and Smoke

High-grade fire rated glass with E, EW, and EI classifications prevents fire and smoke from spreading between different zones within the facility. This compartmentalisation is crucial for data centre protection from fire because it helps enclose hot aisles and battery rooms while preserving safe evacuation paths.

Most importantly, it helps maintain server uptime by protecting critical equipment in adjacent areas. The glass acts as a passive barrier that works continuously, even when active suppression systems might fail or be delayed.

2. Maintains Visibility and Monitoring

One of the unique advantages of non-interlayered fire rated glass like PYROSWISS, is its ability to maintain clear visibility while providing fire protection. This transparency allows facility staff to conduct visual oversight of equipment without exposing themselves to heat or smoke.

During alarm events, maintenance personnel can assess server rooms and equipment status from safe locations without entering danger zones. This visibility is essential for making informed decisions about equipment shutdown procedures and emergency response strategies.

3. Allows Fast Reactivity While Containing Fire

Fire rated glass works in perfect harmony with sprinkler and clean-agent suppression systems. It delays fire spread, giving these active systems crucial time to engage and suppress the fire effectively.

This coordination between passive and active fire protection systems significantly improves overall fire safety outcomes. The glass barriers buy precious reaction time that can mean the difference between a minor incident and a catastrophic failure.

4. Supports Regulatory Compliance and Uptime Requirements

Installing fire rated glass helps data centres meet strict industry standards, including NFPA 75/76 and TIA-942 requirements for fire-resistant construction. These standards are not just regulatory requirements—they're essential for achieving tier classifications that customers expect from mission-critical facilities.

Compliance with these fire protection best practices for data centres also ensures audit-readiness and can reduce insurance costs while building customer confidence.

5. Enhances Safety in Electrical and UPS Bays

UPS and battery units represent some of the highest-risk zones in any data centre. These areas contain large amounts of stored electrical energy and can generate significant heat during normal operation.

Using fire rated glass with blast resistance glass and system in these areas creates an additional safety barrier that reduces the chance of fire spreading to adjacent critical systems. This targeted protection is a cornerstone of data center fire protection strategy.

Vetrotech Products Elevate Data Centre Safety

In facilities like data centres, choosing the right type of certified glazing can make or break your fire protection strategy. Different areas of a data centre require different levels of fire resistance based on their risk profiles and operational requirements.

Vetrotech Product	Fire Rating Type	Core Feature	Best Used In
CONTRAFLAM®	EI 30–120 (Integrity + Insulation)	Multi-layered glass with an intumescent interlayer that expands during fire to block both flames and heat.	UPS rooms, server rooms, mission-critical enclosures requiring heat insulation.
CONTRAFLAM® Lite	EW 30–120 (Integrity + Radiation Control)	Provides a barrier to fire and controls radiant heat transmission, while maintaining visibility.	Monitoring corridors, control rooms, and areas needing radiant heat reduction.
PYROSWISS®	E 30–60 (Integrity Only)	Specially tempered safety glass that stops flames, smoke, and toxic gases. Doesn't insulate heat.	Service corridors, non-critical zones, internal glass partitions.
VDS® Fire Rated Systems	Complete System Solutions	Fire-rated swing and sliding doors, fixed or butt-joint partitions tested with Vetrotech glass.	Doors and partitions across hot aisles, battery rooms, control zones.

Each product addresses specific data centre fire protection needs. CONTRAFLAM® provides the highest level of protection for critical equipment areas, while PYROSWISS® offers protection for lower-risk zones. The VDS® systems provide complete door and partition solutions that integrate seamlessly with the glazing.

Looking to upgrade your data centre fire safety with tested glass systems? Expl…

How to Use Fire Rated Glass the Right Way in Data Centres

Implementing fire rated glass effectively requires following established data centre fire protection best practices. Success depends on proper installation, maintenance, and integration with existing safety systems.

Frame and Seal Compatibility: Always use glass and framing systems that have been tested together to preserve fire ratings. The frame and glazing work as a complete system and mixing components from different manufacturers can compromise the fire rating.

Double-Sided Fire and Suppression Design: Incorporate door closers, intumescent seals, and ventilation shut offs for complete firewall seals. These components work together to create barriers that can withstand fire exposure from either side.

Regular Inspection and Maintenance: Check seals, labels, and glass integrity during scheduled maintenance to ensure continued protection of the data centre from fire. Fire-rated systems require ongoing attention to maintain their protective capabilities. Damaged seals or compromised glass can significantly reduce fire resistance ratings.

Zone-Based Fire Strategy: Apply the appropriate glass type based on zone requirements: E rating for entryways, EI rating for equipment rooms, and EW rating for monitoring spaces. This strategic approach optimises both cost and protection levels.

Additional Fire Protection Best Practices for Data Centres

Beyond fire rated glass, comprehensive data centre fire protection best practices include several other critical elements.

Multi-level Protection: Implement fire protection at rack, room, and building levels. This layered approach reduces fire risk and limits spread.

Clean Agent Suppression Systems: Use gas- or chemical-based systems (like FM-200, Novec 1230, or inert gases) to suppress fires without water, preventing equipment damage. Pre-action sprinklers are a backup option, but water is generally avoided near sensitive IT equipment.

Very Early Detection: Install air-sampling smoke detectors and advanced detection systems for early warning, as even small fires can cause major disruption.

Advanced Alarms and Emergency Power-Off: Ensure alarms are audible and visible. Emergency shutoff switches and overrides are essential for quick response and safety.

Maintenance and Inspections: Routinely inspect, test, and maintain fire protection, HVAC, and electrical infrastructure. Address dust, debris, and cable management issues promptly.

Environmental Monitoring: Monitor temperature, humidity, and airflow for early identification of electrical overheating risks.

Staff Training & Response Planning: Train personnel in emergency response, conduct regular fire drills, and maintain clear evacuation routes and communication protocols.

Coordination with Local Fire Authorities: Work with local fire departments for pre-incident planning and compliance.

Making Data Centres Safer with Fire Rated Glass

Fire rated glass represents a vital layer in comprehensive data center protection from fire, helping contain fires, maintain operational visibility, and comply with essential safety standards. In an industry where 99.999% uptime is the expectation, every component of fire protection must work flawlessly.

Integrating certified fire rated glass from trusted manufacturers like Vetrotech can mean the difference between a contained incident and a catastrophic failure.

The investment in quality fire rated glass systems pays dividends through reduced insurance costs, improved regulatory compliance, enhanced customer confidence, and most importantly, the protection of critical digital infrastructure.