If you're installing a glass balustrade in your home, it's handy to know the models available. There are basically two types. Infill glass panels fit within a supporting frame made from other materials such as metal or wood. Alternatively, structural glass panels have less outer framing. The glass panels themselves provide the primary structural support.
Infill Balustrade Panels
Some glass balustrades are fully framed using materials such as timber, aluminium or steel; and this frame provides the main structural support. The infill glass panels in these models fit within the skeletal framework; they fill in the structure rather than provide its principal strength. Of course, infill glass panels play a safety role as well, preventing people from falling between the framing. The glass is usually fitted within channels or fixed with clamps and bolts. Safety regulations state that this type of balustrade must have a load-supporting handrail affixed; one that can withstand someone falling against it.
Structural Balustrade Panels
While some glass balustrades are fully framed with materials such as timber or metal, other semi-frameless or frameless models rely less on outer framing and more on the glass panels for structural support. The panels in these designs must be strong enough to resist people leaning against and falling on the glass. The panels also need to be designed at such a height and with such spacing that prevents people from falling over or between them.
Structural balustrades are manufactured in two types. Cantilever-type glass panels are attached at the base only, within a channel or by means such as bracket fixing. The other three sides, including the top, are exposed and not encased within framing. The second type of structural balustrade is where the top edge of the glass panel is exposed, but the vertical sides may fit within a channel that is fixed to vertical posts or other balusters. The base of the glass may also be attached within a channel (or else remain exposed).
When Structural Balustrade Panels Are Allowed
Structural glass panels are only allowable when protecting a ground height difference of up to one metre. Otherwise, if the height difference is more than this, the balustrade must include an interlinking handrail that will remain in place even if one of the glass panels breaks. Alternatively, these types of balustrades can be allowed at higher ground levels when a qualified expert engineer is involved in the design.
Two types of balustrade panels, infill and structural, perform different roles with the whole structure. The purpose of infill panels is not to provide the primary structural support; the timber or steel outer frame mostly does this. The role of structural panels, on the other hand, is to provide the main strength of the balustrade. Talk to a professional about the type of glass balustrades you'd like in your property.
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