As I seem to have difficulty explaining the difference between handrails and guardrails and when each is needed, I have added an XY chart to my balustrade design spreadsheet so that I can illustrate the different situations. Handrails and guardrails are not the same thing. Whilst it is common for industrial guardrails to use a […]
TechNote#300 Barriers
Barriers versus: Partitions, Walls, Doors, Windows, Balustrades, Guard Rails, Hand rails, Grab Rails Codes provide no real guidance regarding classification of a structure as a barrier or a wall. AS1170.1 specifies barrier loadings to the top edge of the barrier: this doesn’t always make sense. {NB: AS1170.1 does not identify imposed loads for vertical surfaces […]
Barriers
The Structural Provisions of the BCA The Building Code of Australia (BCA) does not itemise objects and does not define the loads they have to be designed for. No where does it say a balustrade has to be designed for the AS1170.1 barrier loads. Similarly it doesn’t mention cafe screens or any other specific form […]
Balustrades pt#3
The BCA does not clearly define and distinguish between walls, partitions, balustrades, guard rails, hand rails and barriers. AS1170.1 gives top edge loads for barriers. Applying a load to the top edge of a barrier of any height is not considered appropriate: the line load needs applying at a height appropriate to the nature of […]
Balustrades pt#2
{This is a partial rewrite of report originally written in 2011 for a specific project, involving the testing of existing balustrade installations, which resulted in an uneasy feeling that few balustrades were BCA compliant, and that the testing was a hazardous exercise. It has been put online so that it can be made into a […]
Balustrades pt#1
Synopsis {This is a partial rewrite of report originally written in 2003 for a specific project, involving a custom fabricated aluminium balustrade. The owner of a building had looked around at commercially available balustrade systems and decided they were too expensive and had otherwise found a general aluminium/stainless steel fabricator to make a balustrade. The […]