Glass Balustrade Design
Review of loading codes, standards and design guidance
Presented on October 9, 2024 at Facade Tectonics 2024 World Congress
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Overview
Abstract
Glass handrail design in the United States lags behind best practice in other parts of the world. There can be as much as a factor of four (4) difference between the design loads in USA and much of the world and they lack requirements for residual capacity. With this in mind, this paper reviews international design practices with a discussion of their basis and the implications for design of balustrades in brittle materials. Improvements are possible for the design load, residual capacity and damage-event loading, each of which could be based on occupancy. Alternate configurations for improved robustness at similar size and cost are presented.
Authors
Richard Green, PE, SE, P.Eng, CPEng IntPE(Aust), APEC Engineer
Principal/Owner
Green Facades LLC
richard@greenfacadesllc.com
Andrew Crosby, PEng
Principal
Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
acrosby@rjc.ca
Terrence McDonnell S.E., P.E., P.Eng., SECB
Associate Principal
Klein & Hoffman
trmcdonnell@kleinandhoffman.com
Keywords
Paper content
1. Design Loads for Balustrades
In the United States glass balustrades are governed by IBC9, ASCE 73 and ASTM E23585, with ASTM E23534, (although the ASTM standards are notable in
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Part 0: General principles
Part 1: Permanent, imposed and other actions
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