Today's construction projects involve more glass than ever before.  The glass contained in curtainwalls, windows and all glass entries should be designed to support wind loads, seismic loads and sometimes blast loads.  Glass design calculations are often required in construction specifications along with calculations for aluminum curtain walls, storefronts and windows. Following are some of the industry standards and codes that prescribe loads and calculations for glass:

• GANA (Glass Association of North America) Glazing Manual
• GANA Fully Tempered Glass Door and Entry Design Manual
• ASTM E1300 Standard Practice for Determining Load Resistance of Glass in Buildings

What is Glass Blast Engineering?

Since September 11, 2001 great interest in anti-terrorism measures has stimulated vast changes in construction of government facilities.  The rapid changing of the codes prescribing these anti-terrorism requirements has created a moving target in the area of glazing systems and glass design.  Government specifications can specify one or more requirements from 3 different versions of UFC 04-010-01.  

The intent of the anti-terrorism standards are not to require glass to be blast proof, but blast resistant and less fragmenting.  The intent is to reduce the hazards of flying glass in the event of explosion.  The blast load design calculations for glass and glazing systems can be very intensive.  In some cases, based on the protection level, dynamic analysis of the blast load on the glazing and glazing system is required.  For more information please refer to our Window Blast Engineering document linked to this web site.

Following are some of the codes required for glass blast resistant design:

• UFC 04-010-01 DoD Minimum Antiterrorism Standards for Buildings.
• ASTM F 2248 3-Second Duration Design Loading for Blast Resistant Glazing Fabricated with Laminated Glass.