special-purpose structures

Aluminum fire and smoketight constructions are partitions, which are one of the most important elements ensuring the safety of buildings in the case of fire. Our broad palette of aluminum profiles makes it possible to design various fire and smoketight constructions for delimiting fire zones in buildings, as they limit the spread of flame and smoke in the case of fire and ensure appropriate conditions for evacuation.
The range of aluminum-glass fire safety constructions does not just cover products manufactured based on window and door systems, but also products based on prop-and-lintel facade systems. The fire resistance parameters of aluminum fire constructions, such as smoketightness, radiation and fire insulation class are declared within a wide range, from class EI15 to EI20, serving as an effective barrier against flame spread during a fire. The fire resistance rating of fire constructions depends on the applied system of profiles, type of fillings, technological capabilities, and fulfillment of the conditions set forth in National Technical Assessments or approvals. In the segment of aluminum fire partitions, we offer fire facades, including semi-structural facades, glazed roofs, and many door and window products. The application of fire window and door systems makes it possible to fabricate different types of fire-resistant walls, technical windows, shop windows and doors swinging or sliding automatically. The classification of aluminum fire door and window systems makes it possible to build smoketight walls and doors in classes S200 and Sa.

Aluminum fire constructions

are distinguished by a high level of safety, including in the case of large glazings. They are also characterized by the possibility of applying various types of fillings and combining different constructions into one system with preservation of fire resistance.
Modern solutions in the field of fire partitions are used in commercial and industrial buildings, multi-family residential development, as well as in public buildings. The fundamental benefits stemming from the application of aluminum-glass fire constructions are convenience of use, elegant appearance and high level of safety.

Aluminum bulletproof constructions are a relatively new product, being the result of growing demand for effective security solutions. Ballistic screens made of aluminum and glass are tasked with protecting people against discharge from firearms of various calibers. They are capable of stopping projectiles fired from handguns and rifles. Properly selected and reinforced aluminum profiles serve for building of bulletproof partitions, protecting rooms against gunshots and ensuring the safety of those present inside the protected rooms. During selection of materials, special attention is paid to their resistance to impact and penetration by bullets. The construction and fabrication of bulletproof aluminum partitions requires experience and precision. The design solutions applied in the construction of bulletproof windows differ from methods of manufacturing typical aluminum doors and windows; from securing of aluminum profiles against penetration by bullets to the unconventional method of glazing the partition.

Aluminum anti-burglary constructions are made based on standard systems of aluminum profiles, however, in contrast to ordinary constructions, they must fulfill additional strength and operating requirements. Hence, all aluminum anti-burglary constructions apply components raising their resistance to penetration from the outside: anti-prying fittings with multiple bolting points, laminated and tempered glass, as well as special profile reinforcements intended for anti-burglary applications.

Fittings of aluminum anti-burglary constructions

are complete solutions in a given anti-burglary class: hinges, handles, locks, inserts and bolting systems that must meet high standards when it comes to strength, fitting and reliability.

The filling of aluminum anti-burglary constructions

is glass in the appropriate protection class or non-transparent panels made of aluminum or steel sheet. Glazings in constructions of this type are filled with a single glass pane or a thermally insulating package consisting of multi-layered, tempered and laminated glazings. Such glazings are made from panes of tempered glass glued together with special PVB film of the appropriate thickness – in this way, the glazing obtains the required resistance to shattering, penetration and cutting. Besides the application of the appropriate panel or composite glazing, the method of mounting it is extremely important. A characteristic feature of anti-burglary constructions is the closed shape of glazing strips, as well as mounting of glazings with the use of additional fastening components as well as sealants, adhesives or silicones.

Additional reinforcements of aluminum anti-burglary constructions

are components that effectively improve their mechanical resistance at critical points like corners, hinge and lock installation points. They protect constructions against drilling, prying, cutting and make it possible to achieve enhanced resistance to burglary. The quality of components in the form of fittings, glazings and reinforcements are the foundation of the product’s reliability and resistance to burglary, but the application of a fitting, glazing and other components of a specific security class in the design of an anti-burglary construction does not make it possible to precisely determine its anti-burglary class. The performance of laboratory tests on the complete product is critical for determining the level of its burglary resistance.

Tests of aluminum anti-burglary constructions

make it possible to classify them into the appropriate burglary resistance class. The procedure of testing burglary resistance is regulated by the guidelines of three testing standards, which precisely describe methods of testing constructions from the perspective of resistance to static and dynamic loads and resistance to manual burglary with the use of tool sets.

Static tests are performed according to the method given by standard PN-EN 1628:2012 and serve for determining resistance to static loads. The aluminum design is fastened in a test frame and subjected to loads of a specific value by means of a special actuator. The value of loads depends on the burglary resistance class that the design is intended to achieve. Static loads are applied at critical points of the tested aluminum constructions: at the corner of glazings/fillings, bolting points and hinge installation points, as well as in the corners of leafs. Resistance to static loads is evaluated as the degree of deformations of the design resulting from the actuator’s loading of measuring points. The test is an excellent way to verify the design assumptions adopted during designing of the product; the number and distribution of bolts and hinges, materials applied, and the technology of joining them.

Testing of resistance to dynamic loads is performed according to the method defined in standard PN-EN 1629:2012. The aluminum design is mounted in a test frame and tested by a series of impacts through the application of a standardized swing hammer or other impact-generating component with a special design and having a specific weight. The results of these tests are also determined as the degree of deformations in the design.

Checking resistance to burglary with the use of hand tools is performed according to standard PN-EN 1630:2012 with the application of tool sets and times corresponding to the burglary resistance class that the design is intended to achieve. This test is not conducted for the lowest burglary resistance class. The purpose of manual testing with the use of tools is to verify the resistance of aluminum constructions to attempts to break them within a specific time by people equipped with a specific set of tools. The longer the time and the richer the arsenal of tools in the test, the higher the burglary resistance class. Laboratory workers conducting the test are tasked with fully opening the door or window design or cutting a hole in the design that would have the shape and dimensions defined in the standard.

Accessories and fillings of aluminum anti-burglary constructions

should have the appropriate classification, however they are subject to testing and classification according to separate, relevant standards. Locks are tested according to the requirements of standard PN-EN 12209:2005, and the glass of glazings is subject to standard PN-EN 356:2000.

The described laboratory tests are regulated by three testing standards, which verify the properties of aluminum constructions in terms of protection against burglary and make it possible to classify them into the appropriate anti-burglary class. The classification standard is PN-EN 1627:2012, and it contains requirements posed towards anti-burglary products and defines burglary resistance classes. In this standard, six burglary resistance class are distinguished, from the lowest RC1 to the highest RC6. Aluminum constructions in the lowest classes, RC1 and RC2, are applied in places with a low risk of burglary by occasional burglars who wish to avoid noise and unnecessary risk, using the simplest hand tools and relatively low force. Anti-burglary aluminum constructions of class RC3 seem optimal, particularly for residential buildings, as their resistance to burglary attempts deters burglars from continuing their attack. Classes from RC4 to RC6 are applied in places with high and particularly high risk of burglary – products in these classes are designed for attacks by professionals equipped with sets of good tools.

Application of aluminum anti-burglary constructions.

The investor or designer decides on the application of anti-burglary constructions of a given class, considering binding regulations or the level of burglary risk. Products in classes RC1N and RC2N, without special glazing requirements, are commonly used in the lower storeys of multi-family residential buildings. Class RC2 and RC3 is recommended for protection of residential buildings in single-family construction. Constructions in classes RC4 and higher find applications in facilities associated with critical infrastructure, military compounds and other special-purpose buildings.

Aluminum constructions for X-ray protection are made in a window-door system ensuring safety against the adverse impact of X-ray radiation on the human body. The system of aluminum profiles makes it possible to implement well-thought-out solutions for the purpose of creating an effective barrier against electromagnetic radiation and minimizing hazards to human life and health arising from excessive exposure to the action of such radiation.

Aluminum constructions for X-ray protection

are extremely solid products, not requiring maintenance and easy to maintain in a sanitary state, which is particularly important in healthcare centers. Aluminum is a metal with high plasticity, which makes it resistant to mechanical damage and corrosion as well as an excellent material for designing and fabricating constructions for radiology. Aluminum products for X-ray resistance can be made to custom dimensions out of profiles accounting for location-specific installation conditions. Doors, windows and shutters are among the aluminum constructions that serve as fixed screens against X-rays. Portable protective screens for X-ray shielding can also be made out of aluminum.

The design of aluminum constructions for X-ray screening

makes it possible to offer products optimally adapted to design documentation not only in terms of dimensions but also in the scope of applied fillings and level of radiological protection. The level of protection against radiation depends on the thickness of the lead layer applied in the X-ray construction or appropriately calculated lead factor for glazed X-ray constructions (lead lined windows). The level of radiological protection, expressed in mm Pb, is defined directly in the detailed designs of rooms where radiation is emitted. Such designs contain the calculations required for X-ray screens, and hence, guidelines for implementing X-ray constructions compliant with the documentation. Radiological protection for medical personnel and patients is designed according to the provisions of the Nuclear Law Act, associated with the EUROATOM EU directive establishing basic safety standards for protection against hazards arising from exposure to the action of ionizing radiation.

Lead lined aluminum constructions for radiology are made as full and glazed, powder-painted in any color in the RAL palette. The application of the latest technologies used to finish aluminum profiles makes it possible to paint X-ray constructions in both uniform and wood-imitation colors. Aluminum constructions for X-ray protection applications are used in X-ray rooms, tomography rooms, in dentists’ offices and other rooms where ionizing radiation requiring the proper screens is present.

Atypical aluminum constructions are products based on non-standard solutions applied to custom designs, for which systemic technical solutions are not fully sufficient. The properties of the material from which atypical aluminum constructions are made are critical from the perspective of designing and implementation possibilities. Aluminum is a material with very good parameters; high strength with light weight, exceptional resistance to weather conditions within a broad temperature range, easy processing and forming, as well as high resistance to corrosion. The application of systemic aluminum profiles as well as aluminum shapes and components outside of the catalogue of systems makes it possible to achieve non-standard solutions in the form of new, atypical products.

Through an individual approach to designing and special monitoring of profile fabrication, surface treatment and painting, atypical aluminum constructions are distinguished by high finishing quality.

Atypical aluminum constructions

are ideally adapted to the functions that they are intended to serve, adjusted to the installation case, extremely light and simultaneously load-resistant. Just like most structural aluminum constructions, they have a very favorable strength to self-weight ratio as well as high corrosion resistance, even in the case of mechanical damage to the paint coat. Selection of the optimal shape and cross-section of aluminum profiles is very important to designers when creating atypical aluminum constructions. In order to obtain the appropriate shapes, dimensions and cross-sections, profiles undergo various processing; they may be bent, cut or even welded together. In the case of larger investments, atypical aluminum profiles specially extruded for the purposes of specific designs are applied. Besides proper selection of profiles, precise manufacturing of individual components and their skillful joining play an essential role in the structure of atypical aluminum constructions – monitoring of the fabrication of atypical aluminum components places special emphasis on accuracy in production, care for detail, and the precise application of adopted technological solutions.  

Production of atypical aluminum constructions

is not subject to production minimums, and both unitary products and large batches of aluminum products are designed and fabricated. Atypical aluminum constructions find applications in many fields of construction and industry. They are used, among others, in non-standard building facades, in elevator shaft linings, terraces and balconies. Atypical aluminum products are ideal for building umbrella roofs, advertising shop windows, display cabinets, laboratory fume hoods, frames, handrails and guardrails, closures of electrical risers and many others. Profile constructions can be adapted to the character of the building and used for various tasks.

The appearance of aluminum smoke extraction and ventilation constructions do not differ much from other window and door joinery elements, however they perform a very important role in ensuring the fire safety of users in the buildings where they are installed. The safe evacuation of people during a fire and the possibility of conducting quick and effective rescue and firefighting operations depend on the appropriate selection and comprehensive application of these constructions. Aluminum window and door constructions, appropriately adapted and equipped with electrical actuators, can be intended for smoke extraction, aeration, and day-to-day ventilation of a building’s interior.

A window gravity smoke extraction system based on aluminum window constructions is a solution that is both effective and reliable free, and its appearance is also very appealing. Aluminum smoke extraction windows have a great appearance both as individual constructions mounted in a wall and as elements incorporated into the structure of a post-and-beam facade.