Must glass balustrades in Singapore be laminated?
Under BCA's Approved Document, where glass forms part or all of a barrier, laminated glass is to be used and all glass must comply with SS 341. BCA's handbook adds that this applies to houses built for the owner's own use too. The rule was introduced in Version 4.0 of the Approved Document on 1 July 2011. Designers can propose an alternative solution, but it must be shown to meet the performance requirement.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Tempered Glass Breakage and Glass Railings in Singapore: Nickel Sulphide, Heat-Soak Testing and BCA Barrier Rules. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Tempered glass can shatter without impact, months or years after installation, when a tiny nickel sulphide inclusion expands inside the glass. Heat-soak testing to EN 14179-1 reduces but does not eliminate this risk. In Singapore, BCA's acceptable solution requires glass in barriers to be laminated, barriers to be at least 1.0 m high, and tempered glass at height 2.4 m or more to be protected.
More questions on this topic
- Why did my tempered glass shatter when nobody touched it?
- Does heat-soak testing make tempered glass safe?
- How high must a balcony railing be in Singapore?
- Is laminated glass the same as tempered glass?
- Who is responsible for a cracked glass balustrade in a condo?
- Does the Periodic Façade Inspection cover glass?