BALUSTRADE DESIGN
Since B1 Structure was revised and AS/NZS 1170 was cited by the
DBH from December 2008 we are working to new loadings for
balustrades. In addition B1/VM1 and the recent Practice Advisory
Note 10 provide design guidance for barriers and details how to
apply the loads.
The result is the Balustrade design charts in section 13.23 are
no longer suitable for barrier design.
GANZ have produced a new set of tables for Balustrade Design and
this have been updated and re released in June 2010. These are
available from Metro GlassTech branches via our sales and technical
staff.
SLOPED GLAZING
With the citation of AS/NZS 1170 we also have additional live
loads to deal with for roof and canopy design. These are normally
0.5kN or 1.1 kN for occupancy R2 and 1.8 kN for R1 street awnings.
(refer AS/NZS1170.1 Table 3.2)
These are very restrictive on design and guidance is provided in
the new NZS 4223:Part 4:2008 and our Technical Bulletin 32.
The result is that the Sloped Glazing Design Charts in Section
13.5 are out of date unless you are designing without the live
loads, using wind and dead load only.
GLASS FLOORS
AS/NZS 1170.1 also introduces new occupancy loadings on glass
floors (table 3.1) and thus the floor design chart in section 13.12
may not be suitable for some loading conditions, so if designing
floors it is best to check with MetroGlass Tech sales and technical
staff.
THERMAL STRESS BREAKAGE
With the increase use of high performance glasses in IGUs for
housing and small buildings were are seeing an increase in thermal
stress breakage. Problems often arise when using solar and solar
Low E glasses with large overhangs, external louvers, internal
blinds and drapes and sliding doors that can often park two to 4
doors deep.
If the glass is heat strengthened or toughened it will not
thermally break, but care is required with annealed and especially
laminated glass.
For more information refer to Section 9.8 of our Catalogue and Reference
Guide and or Technical Bulletin 24.