Watch a CBS News report on the dangers of traditional
wired
glass.
|
|
|
Greetings!
You are receiving the inaugural issue of "Code Considerations Quarterly," SAFTI FIRST's
quarterly publication that helps architects and specifiers select the
correct fire rated glazing product based on the most current code and
testing requirements. Today's issue will focus on revised IBC
safety glazing requirements and how they affect the use of traditional
wired glass.
If you have a code question that you want us to discuss in future issues, please send your question via email to dianas@safti.com so we can add it to our growing list of topics. We hope that you find the contents of this newsletter helpful!
Thank you, The SAFTI FIRST Team
|
|
|
|
What is Cat I and II?
CPSC Cat I survives 150 ft. lbs. of impact (equivalent to a small child) and limits the glazing area to 1296 square inches.
CPSC Cat II survives 400 ft. lbs. of impact (equivalent to an adult) and can exceed 1296 square inches up to the maximum size tested.
|
|
|
Was wired glass affected by the new codes?
The correct answer is "YES" and "NO."
YES. Today's
model building codes restrict the use of "traditional wired" glass in
hazardous locations like doors, sidelites, and any location that
requires safety. This code change limits the potentially life
threatening injuries resulting from accidental impact with non-safety
traditional wired glass, which can and has been broken with as little as
50 ft. lbs. of force, or the force exerted by a small child running
into this glazing. These injuries are well documented in a CBS News Report,
as well as the misguided perception that traditional wired
glass is strong, when in fact, the opposite is true. The embedded
wires in the glass act as a break plane, making the glass just half as
strong as annealed glass.
New generation "safety wired" glass products such as SAFTI FIRST's filmed SuperLite I-W
can be used in these hazardous locations. Safety wired glass products
are tested to and meet the highest safety requirements mandated by both
the code and the federal government's Consumer Products Safety
Commission (CPSC), and have attained a fire rating after stringent fire
testing.
NO. The
recent local building code did not ban traditional wired glass, but it
effectively limited its use to those applications that do not require
safety glazing. These are areas that are not easily impacted by
children or adults. Please refer to IBC 2003, 2006, and 2009
Chapter 24 model code sections or your local building code for specific
safety glazing requirements and restrictions.
Bottom
Line: The key to understanding this code change is realizing that
there are two types of wired glass: non-safety traditional wired glass and safety wired glass.
Only non-safety traditional wired glass was affected by the recent code
changes. Safety wired glass meets all the required fire and
safety standards, making it the easy, code compliant choice.
|
|
|
WEBINAR: Designing with Fire Rated Glass 1 AIA LU/HSWTake the mystery out of fire rated glazing codes, testing and products. SAFTI FIRST offers a 1-hour, interactive webinar with a code expert.Please send an email to dianas@safti.com to schedule a training session for your firm.
|
|
Historical Background: Wired Glass and Codes
In
1977, traditional wired glass was given an exemption from meeting the
CPSC impact safety standard when used in doors, sidelites and other
potentially hazardous locations because wired glass manufacturers
claimed that they did not have the technology to meet such critical
standards. Twenty-five years later, they still claimed that
they could not meet these safety standards. This all changed when
safety wired glass products were introduced.
The 2003 IBC removed the exemption for traditional wired glass in educational and athletic facilities and
set forth that the federal safety glazing standards applied in those
buildings. In the 2004 IBC Supplement and the 2006 IBC code,
restrictions were taken one step further. The result was that
traditional wired glass is no longer exempt from meeting safety
standards when used in any
potentially hazardous location. This applies to all new
construction and in all types of occupancies (see Sec. 2406.1.1 in the
2003 and 2006 IBC).
New safety wired glass is economical
and meets all the fire protective glazing and safety standards, making
it the best value in fire rated glass.
To learn about SAFTI FIRST's full line of fire and safety rated glazing products that meet new IBC requirements, please visit www.safti.com. |
|
|
|