Glass Balustrades / Barrier Protection

Whether is is a cantilevered glass balustrade or a stanchion supported barrier system, Thermosash can undertake your project's custom engineered barrier design solution - all engineered to allow for specified loading's, including extreme loading's that can be imposed in crowd or public areas.

Over the years the standards and building codes have changed to increase barrier loading requirements for glass balustrades and barrier supporting structures used in and around buildings. The revised standards address barriers and glazing safeguarding a fall of 1m or more.

This is fully explained in the following document from the department of Building and Housing 'Guidance on Barrier Design' and can be downloaded from the following link Guidance on Barrier Design - March 2012 also refer GANZ (Glass Association of New Zealand).

We can assist in the total supply to install process, engineering your concepts in either cantilevered, face fixed, baluster styles or frameless (no top or balusters), all to the highest ratings required and independent certification where requested, including consideration towards system redundancy in case of spontaneous glass failure (refer - Nickel Sulfide Inclusions).

With our in-house glass and structural engineering capability we can manufacture practically any design including unique site-specific fixing methods in glass (including curved), aluminum, stainless steel or industrial paint coated steel where necessary, providing a durable maintenance free barrier solution. 

The Key to barrier design is to first understand the occupancy type for the barrier location and the following brief from AS/NZ 1170.1:2002 provides a guide. Once occupancy is defined the appropriate loading can be applied to calculate the appropriate glass and frame system to resist the proposed loads;

Excerpt from code:
A Domestic and residential activities All areas within or serving exclusively one dwelling including stairs landings etc but excluding external balconies and edges or roofs see (C3)
C1/C2 Areas with tables or fixed seating - Areas with fixed seating adjacent to a balustrade, restaurants, bars etc.
C3 Areas without obstacles for moving people and not susceptible to overcrowding – Stairs, landings, external balconies, edges of roofs etc.
C5 Areas susceptible to overcrowding – Theatres, cinemas, grandstands, discotheques, bars, auditoria, shopping malls (see also D), assembly areas, studios etc.
D Retail areas – All retail areas including public areas of banks / building societies, (see C5 for areas where overcrowding may occur).

Many barriers require specific design and Woods Glass and Thermosash technical support team can help so the barrier system can be engineered accordingly and manufactured and installed as a complying design.

We also manufacture and install proprietary cantilevered glass and channel systems.