WHICH GLASS IS USED IN RAILING SYSTEMS?

WHICH GLASS IS USED IN RAILING SYSTEMS?

Since 2015, the International Code Council (ICC) has required that all glass used in glass railings be laminated, heat-tempered, or tempered glass.

HEAT-STRENGTHENED GLASS

Heat-strengthened glass is annealed glass that has been subjected to high temperatures and quenched and cooled to form compressive stress of less than 69 MPa on the surface, which increases the mechanical strength of the glass several times.

The surface stress of semi-tempered glass is 24-69 Mpa, and it is the same as ordinary glass after breaking.

Safety: The fragments are radial when broken, and each fragment extends to the edge, which is not easy to fall off and is safer, but is not safety glass.

Thermal stability: thermal stability is also significantly better than annealed glass, ordinary glass semi-tempered treatment can withstand the temperature difference of about 75 ° C. Semi-tempered glass will not spontaneously explode.

While heat-strengthened glass is broken, the crack of the whole glass from the point of force to expand to the edge is radioactive, and the vast majority of the glass is still retained in the frame. Heat-strengthened glass can also cause extremely serious injuries to people if it falls from a building, just like ordinary glass. There are many places that do not allow the use of heat-strengthened glass, specifying that safety glass is required.

Safety glass for railings is usually tempered glass, laminated glass, tempered laminated glass.

TEMPERED GLASS

Quenched and strengthened glass. The glass is made by heating the glass uniformly to the softening temperature and then quenching it with a cooling medium such as high-speed air.

This glass has uniform compressive stress on the surface, which improves the mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance of the glass. When using air as the cooling medium, it is called tempering; when using oil and other liquids as the cooling medium, it is called liquid tempering; when using molten salt as the cooling medium, it is called salt bath tempering.

According to its degree of rigidity and the shape of the product, it can be divided into completely tempered, regional tempered, semi-tempered, flat tempered, and curved tempered varieties.

The bending strength of tempered glass is 3 to 5 times greater than untreated glass, up to 150-250 MPa, and the thermal stability is increased by 3 to 4 times, which can withstand the rapid change in temperature from 200 to 250°C.

When broken, it forms particles without sharp edges, which cause little harm to the human body and is the most widely used safety glass.

LAMINATED GLASS

In two or more pieces of glass sandwiched between transparent polyvinyl butyral film or other adhesive materials, heated, pressurized, and glued into composite glass products.

When subjected to impact, because the middle layer is elastic and bonded, it can improve the impact strength, and when broken, its fragments do not fall or splash, which can effectively prevent or reduce injury to human beings.

Laminated glass as a kind of safety glass after being broken by impact, due to the bonding effect of the PVB film sandwiched between its two pieces of ordinary glass, will not be like ordinary glass broken to produce sharp fragments to hurt people。

Depending on the lamination, laminated glass can be divided into three types.

SGP or Sentry Guard Plus laminated

PVB or polyvinyl butyral

EVA or Ethylene Vinyl Acetate

If you prefer frameless glass panels, laminated glass is preferable. In general, PVB is better suited for interior glass stair railings because it has the potential to decay faster than EVA and is better suited for exterior railings. In addition, EVA offers a clearer lamination than PVB.

TEMPERED LAMINATED GLASS

Tempered laminated glass, also known as toughened laminated glass, is a type of laminated glass that is made by laminating 2 or more layers of ordinary float glass after a tempering process. The middle layer is mostly PVB, SGP, EVA film through a special process of heating and high pressure to bond the 2 or more layers of glass together in safety glass.

Tempered laminated glass not only has the characteristics of tempered glass with greater resistance to impact but also has the characteristics of ordinary laminated glass, glass even if broken, the fragments will be glued together as one due to the role of the intermediate adhesive layer. This makes it effective to prevent the occurrence of falling fragments and ensure personal safety.

WHICH GLASS IS USED IN THE BALCONY RAILING SYSTEM?

The best balcony railing is tempered laminated glass, which has the characteristics of laminated glass, even if the glass is broken, the fragments will be stuck together by the interlayer. Very safe. Of course, it is the most expensive.

If you are a high-rise balcony, you need to use tempered laminated glass.

If you have a lower floor, you can use laminated glass, tempered glass, tempered glass must be with top rail, there are some places that require tempered laminated glass.

WHICH GLASS IS USED IN THE STAIR RAILING SYSTEM?

The best stair railing is tempered laminated glass, which has strong impact resistance and also has the characteristics of laminated glass. Very safe. Of course, it is the most expensive.

If you are a high-rise staircase, you need to use tempered laminated glass.

If you are on a lower level, you can use laminated glass, tempered glass, tempered glass with top rail, and in some places, tempered laminated glass is required.

WHICH GLASS IS USED IN THE CORRIDOR RAILING SYSTEM?

The best corridor railing is tempered laminated glass, which has high impact resistance and the characteristics of laminated glass, even if the glass is broken, the pieces will stick together because of the adhesive layer in the middle. Very safe. Of course, it is the most expensive.

If you are a high-rise balcony, you need to use tempered laminated glass.

If you have a lower floor, you can use laminated glass, tempered glass, tempered glass must have a top rail, there are some places that require tempered laminated glass.

WHICH GLASS IS USED IN THE DECK RAILING SYSTEM?

You can use tempered glass, laminated glass, tempered laminated glass, heat-strengthened glass. The tempered glass and strengthened glass must with a top rail.

some places require tempered glass, not heat-strengthened glass.

WHICH GLASS IS USED IN THE PORCH RAILING SYSTEM?

You can use tempered glass, laminated glass, tempered laminated glass, semi-tempered glass. The tempered glass and heat-strengthened glass must with a top rail.

some places require tempered glass, not heat-strengthened glass.

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