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Glass balusters on stairs


Ben H

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As I recall the code says guard must "resist" 200 lb applied laterally...question is what does "resist" mean?

I think that the generally accepted interpretation is that "resist" means "it doesn't break or become permanently deformed." However, if you're going to set up a test of such a rail, the test for most materials should use a safety factor of 2.5.

Since a portion of the assembly in this case is glass, the safety factor would have to be increased to 4.

So, effectively, the rail would have to resist a lateral load of 800# without breaking or permanently deforming.

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As I recall the code says guard must "resist" 200 lb applied laterally...question is what does "resist" mean?

I think that the generally accepted interpretation is that "resist" means "it doesn't break or become permanently deformed." However, if you're going to set up a test of such a rail, the test for most materials should use a safety factor of 2.5.

Since a portion of the assembly in this case is glass, the safety factor would have to be increased to 4.

So, effectively, the rail would have to resist a lateral load of 800# without breaking or permanently deforming.

I suspect that only a few, if any, currently installed residential rail assemblies would resist a 500 pound lateral load applied under laboratory test conditions.

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A glass guard rail assembly has to pass a few tests per the ASTM standard, including supporting 334 pounds for 60 seconds. That's why the site-fabricated assembly would not be acceptable.

I found no markings whatsoever on the rails. My money is on homemade.

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