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| In every glazing design, protecting people from injury from accidental glass impact, breakage and/or fallout is critical. Ordinary glass windows are fragile and when broken can result in serious injuries. The toughness, resiliency and adhesion of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) to glass makes laminated architectural glass an excellent safety glazing material. When laminated glass made with PVB interlayers are used in a glazing design, the risk of injury as a result of broken glass is considerably reduced. If the glass is broken, fragments will adhere to the interlayer, thus reducing the risk of personal injury or property damage from falling glass. Also, laminated architectural glass will remain integral, helping to resist further impact or weather damage.
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| The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the architectural glazing safety sections of the International Building Code (IBC) set uniform requirements for the performance of glazing materials used in applications that present a potential hazard to the public. These applications include entrance doors, storm doors, patio-type sliding doors, shower and bath enclosures as well as sidelight and fixed glazed panels. Performance requirements are determined by the application and the size of the glazing area. Laminated glass made with PVB interlayers can meet all of the established building code requirements for safety glazing.
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| Laminated safety glass manufactured with .015” PVB interlayer meets Category I tests of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Federal Standard 16CFR 1201. Laminated glass made with a .030” PVB interlayer or thicker meets Category I and II tests of the Consumer Product Safety Standard. Any glazing greater than 9 sq. ft. intended for use in a shower, tub, or patio door assembly must be certified to comply with Category II. Both laminated products comply with ANSI Z97.1-1984, a voluntary industry safety standard for glazing materials.
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| Applicable Canadian Standards for Laminated Safety Glass is governed by the Canadian General Standards Board CAN/CGSB-12.- M90, CAN/CGSB-M89, which deals with the Structural Design of Glass for Buildings. The National Building Code of Canada 1995 (NBC) applies to the construction of buildings, including extensions, substantial alterations, buildings undergoing a change of occupancy and upgrading of buildings to remove an unacceptable hazard. The NBC is in the form of a model code to permit adoption by the appropriate authorities.
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| Quality standards for laminated glass are defined in the American Testing and Materials (ASTM) document C 1172 - Standard Specifications for Laminated Architectural Glass. Laminated glass for use as safety glazing is governed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z97.1 - American National Standard for Safety Glazing Materials Used in Buildings-Safety Performance Specification and Methods of Test and Consumer Products Safety Commission(CPSC) 16CFR 1201 - Safety Standard for Architectural Glazing Materials. For more information, please consult: http://www.codesnationaux.ca/nbc/index_e.shtml Note: The GANA Glazing Manual and Laminated Glass Design Guide should be consulted for additonal detailed information on laminated glass, burglar resistant, and physical-attack resistant laminated constructions prior to specifying and using laminated glass constructions.
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| The use of glass in sloped and overhead glazings presents a design challenge. The glazing system specified must reduce the risk of injury from glass fallout, if the glass breaks for any reason. Laminated architectural glass has the tendency of remaining integral if broken. The adhesion of the glass to the interlayer greatly reduces the danger of falling glass shards. The major model building codes in the U.S. have set requirements for glazing products used in skylights. In addition, the Glazing Industry Code Committee, which represents all facets of the glazing industry, has established consensus requirements for sloped and overhead glazings. These standards recognize the safety performance of laminated architectural glass. Unlike monolithic tempered or heat strengthened (HS) glass, laminated architectural glass does not require the installation of costly, unsightly screens when used in sloped and overhead glazings. Laminated glass can be fabricated with annealed (AN), heat strengthened (HS), or fully tempered (FT) glass, depending on the design requirements. A minimum interlayer thickness of .76mm (0.030 in.) is called for by the codes, with a 1.52mm (0.060 in.) thickness commonly specified to meet product design needs.
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