Structural Glass Balustrades

Structural Glass Balustrades

UK Leading Manufacturer Of Balustrade Systems
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Structural Glass Balustrade

Here at Origin, we offer a wide range of structural glass solutions. To make things easier for you, we have set out below the questions that we are most commonly asked:

What is a structural glass balustrade?

A structural glass balustrade is where the glass forms part of the structure of the building. It is often referred to as frameless glass or infinity glass. It is essentially made of extruded aluminium channel which is fixed to the structure of the building. The channel is most commonly base fixed (i.e. fixed through the bottom of the profile) but can also be side fixed (where you fix through the side of the profile). When fixing through the side of the channel, you will usually need to clad the outside leg of the channel to cover the fixing holes. The glass is secured with a dry glazed fixing system. There is no need to use any resin and the angle of the panel can be adjusted once fitted inside the profile.

What’s the minimum thickness of structural glass in a glass balustrade system?

The thickness of the glass that you use depends upon the application. The more crowded the area and the higher the fall that the glass is protecting, the thicker the glass. The lowest risk areas are often applications such as domestic patios that are less than 600mm from the ground. In such applications, you can use 12mm toughened glass. The profiles should not be used to secure any glass that is thinner than 12mm. Read our FAQ section below which answers more questions on structural glass balustrades.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • All of our systems are fully tested. The maximum span for a structural glass panel will depend on the application but each panel should usually be not much more than a meter in width.

  • All of our frameless glass systems are fully tested when fixed to steel or concrete and are very safe. You just need to check that it is tested to the correct line load test to meet your application. Our technical team can help you with this if needed.

  • We supply a wide range of fixings for all our structural (or frameless glass) profiles. You just need to check the profile that you are using and what you are fixing to. The cost of the fixings depends on the material that you are fixing to. Certain of our profiles use a countersunk hole and certain do not. If you are unsure of the fixing that you need, please contact our technical team.

  • This again depends on the application and whether or not you are using a handrail. For a domestic balcony that is protecting a fall of 600mm or more, you should use 17.5mm toughened laminate glass if you are not having a handrail or 15mm toughened glass if you are having a handrail. A laminate glass is simply two pieces of glass that are bonded together with an interlayer. If one side of the panel is ever damaged, the other side should remain in place.

  • As standard our panels are not heat soaked. We do this on the basis that we want to offer the most competitive price to our customers. It is no problem at all however to supply heat soaked glass. Heat soaked glass is usually only required if the glass is continually exposed to particularly hot sunshine. It is three times more likely to be resistant to heat when compared to normal annealed glass.

  • Our structural balustrades are tested to any load requirements that your application requires. It is important to remember that what determines whether or not your structural glass balcony meets a specific load requirement is usually not the profile itself but the material that you are fixing to and the glass thickness that you use.

  • We do have systems that can support glass up to 1.8m high. The glass should usually be laminated sentry glass. This has a stronger interlayer than standard PVB laminated glass. A privacy screen is usually not in itself a structural balustrade. Our technical team can advise you on the best solution for your frameless privacy screen.

  • Weather conditions will not adversely affect the profile itself. Extremes of weather can however affect the glass itself. In certain weather conditions such as extreme heat or wind you may need particular glass thicknesses or glass types to ensure the longevity and performance of your structural glass balustrade.

  • There aren’t any particular limitations that architects face when using structural glass balustrades. It is always better to involve us as early as possible in the planning process. We can then advise you on which profile and glass thickness is best for your application. Our frameless profiles are installed in a slightly different way. We can also advise you on which profile will be most cost efficient for your application.

  • Installing frameless glass balustrade is usually pretty straightforward. We have installation videos for all of our frameless glass products. Where most care should be taken is the installation of the glass itself. We would always recommend using suction pads to carefully lift the glass into place. For thicker (structural glass) and for installing glass at height certain lifting equipment may be required.

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Building Regulations

The building regulations that apply to your balustrade will vary depending on the use of the balustrade and the how the building in which the balustrade is used is occupied.We set our below the most commonly asked questions to help you to ensure that your balustrade meets building regulations. You can call our technical team who can answer any questions that you may have.

How high should my balustrade be?

In a domestic single occupancy house, the height of a balustrade for a landing, ramp, edge of internal floor or stairs should be 900 mm from floor level. For external balconies(including Juliet balconies), decking and edges of roofs, the height of the balustrade should be 1100 mm from floor level. The height of the balustrade is measured from finished floor level to the top of the balustrade.

Do I need a handrail?

You will need a handrail if the balustrade protects a fall that is 600 mm or more unless laminated glass is used.Laminated glass is two pieces of glass that are bonded together with an interlayer. If one panel fails, the other panel will remain in place.It is considered to be safer than toughened glass. If a handrail is used, it should be properly secured to the glass.

What is a line load test?

A line load test is the pressure per meter that the balustrade can withstand before it starts to move within the fixing.Once that pressure is applied it should not move more than 25 mm. The amount of pressure is usually expressed in kilo newtons per meter.

Will my balustrade meet the required line load test?

A number of our balustrade systems are tested.Our technical team can advise you on whether or not your balustrade is tested to the required line load test and provide you with a test certificate on request. Whether or not your balustrade is tested will usually depend on the type of balustrade used and which material you are fixing to.

What line load test will my balustrade be required to meet?

The line load test that your balustrade will be required to meet will depend on type of building and the level of occupancy of that building. There follows a table which sets out the line load test that your balustrade will be required to meet.

How to Measure for your Balustrade

Stainless steel posts – Metalwork

You should start by setting out the centre line measurement for your posts. We would recommend setting out your posts 75mm in from the edge of the reveal. This excludes any overhang.

The space between each post (and therefore the width between each panel) depends on wind factor, glass type and glass thickness. If the panel is too wide, it will put too much pressure on the glass clamp and could cause the balustrade to fail. For most applications, we suggest having a gap of around a meter between each post. This may be slightly more or less depending on the configuration of your balustrade.

Stainless steel posts – Glass Width

When measuring the width of your glass panel, you should measure from inside of one post to the inside of the next post. You should then deduct from that measurement the width of the metal section at the back of the clamp that sits between the outside edge of the glass and the inside edge of the post. This deduction should be made for each post.

For a 10mm glass clamp, this measurement is usually 20mm as per the drawing below. The total deduction to be made from the measurement of inside of post to inside of post to calculate your glass width would subsequently be 40mm. By way of example, if you were using a 10mm glass clamp as per the drawing below and the measurement from inside of post to inside of post was 1000mm, the width of the panel would be 960mm.

The thickness of the meal section at the back of the clamp may vary depending on the spec of the clamp that you have been supplied. If you have any concerns as to what that measurement is, please speak to our technical team.

Stainless Steel posts – Glass Height

The height of the glass panel will depend on a number of factors such as glass thickness, whether or not you have a handrail, the thickness of the tube that has been used to manufacture the posts and the line load test that the posts are required to meet.

For a 42mm diameter post with an end cap, where the height of the post is 1100mm from bottom of post to the top of the end cap, we would usually recommend the height the panel being 1010mm, leaving a 900mm gap from the bottom of the glass to the floor. This may vary depending on the application of your balustrade.

For a 42mm diameter post with a handrail bracket and 42mm diameter handrail, where the height of the post is 1100mm from the bottom of the base plate to the top of the handrail we would recommend the height of the panel as 898mm. This leaves an 80mm gap from the finished floor level to bottom of glass and an 80mm gap from top of post to bottom of handrail.

Stainless Steel Posts – Safety Pins

All of our glass clamps are supplied with safety pins. The purpose of the pin is to provide an additional safety measure to prevent the glass from slipping through the clamp once the glass clamp is tightened. We can supply the glass with a hole through which the safety pin will sit if specified at point of ordering.

There are three measurements which need to be taken into account:

Firstly, the distance from the right/left side of the glass needs to the centre of the hole should reflect the mould of the glass clamp. For the clamp below this would be 28mm.

Secondly, the distance from the top/bottom of the panel should match the distance from the top/bottom of the post.

Thirdly, the diameter of the hole should be slightly larger than the pin. For a standard 10mm glass clamp, we would usually recommend a diameter of 9mm.

Glass

Laminated Glass

Laminated glass is two or more thicknesses of glass bonded together by an interlayer. At Origin we supply toughened laminated glass. This is two pieces of toughened glass that are laminated together. We use what is called a PVB laminate as an interlayer which is at least 1.52mm thick and creates a considerable barrier to penetration. When broken the pieces are retained by the interlayer and if well supported the glass has an increased likelihood of staying in place. If you are using laminated glass in your balustrade you usually will not require a handrail although having a handrail will greatly improve the structural integrity of the balustrade. Laminated glass is usually more expensive than toughened glass.

Toughened Glass

This is glass that has been heat treated after it has been formed to a particular shape. The glass is heated to approximately 700 degrees centigrade and then rapidly cooled. If it is ever broken, toughened glass fractures into small relatively harmless fragments and will no longer support a load.

If you are using toughened glass in your balustrade and you are protecting a fall of 600mm or more, you will require a handrail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frameless Glass Balustrade
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