Fire-rated glass partition thickness is dictated by the required fire resistance rating and whether the assembly must provide integrity only or integrity plus thermal insulation. Chinese product categories separate non-insulating monolithic grades from insulating laminated composites, and thickness scales accordingly.
Monolithic non-insulating fire-rated glass — including borosilicate fire-rated glass and cesium-potassium monolithic types — typically ranges from 5 mm to 19 mm, with 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm and 12 mm commonly selected for partition applications. These grades meet integrity (flame-blocking) requirements but do not provide a thermal insulation barrier.
Laminated insulating fire-rated glass is generally supplied in 25 mm, 35 mm and 45 mm builds. The article cites 41 mm laminated insulating fire-rated glass for 120-minute requirements and 75 mm variants for 180-minute (3-hour) fire resistance ratings. These assemblies satisfy both integrity and insulation criteria.
The following minimum thickness benchmarks are presented for fire-rated glazing: 15 mm for 30 minutes, 21 mm for 60 minutes, 27 mm for 90 minutes, and 39 mm for 120 minutes. Construction formats include single-layer (2–8 mm), laminated (8–12 mm), fire-rated insulating glass units (12–30 mm) and multi-layer composites up to 60 mm. Because test protocols and classification definitions differ by jurisdiction, selections should be verified against the project-specific fire compartment rating and applicable national standard.
Applications include exterior window and door openings, interior partitions at stairwells and elevator shafts, and protected egress routes. Thickness and build must always be matched to the tested system, not to generic tables alone.