Integration for Glass Balustrades

Compliance: Glass balustrades must comply with the performance requirements outlined in the NCC and BCA, using Australian Standards as a reference for specific technical details.

Safety and Performance: The integration ensures that glass balustrades are designed and constructed to handle various loads and impacts, providing safe and reliable barriers.

Regulatory Oversight: The ABCB oversees the development and enforcement of these codes and standards, ensuring that all building work adheres to national safety and performance criteria.

Here are the main differences:

Laminated Glass Requirement:

For structural glass barriers protecting a fall of more than 5 meters, the use of laminated glass is now mandatory. This includes various types of laminated glass such as annealed laminated, heat-strengthened laminated, and toughened laminated glass. This change enhances safety by ensuring that even if the glass breaks, the lamination holds the shards together.

Enhanced Procedures for Selection and Installation:

The new standard sets out more detailed procedures for selecting and installing glass, considering factors like wind loading, human impact, and specific applications. This ensures that the glass used is suitable for its specific environment and application.

Integration with NCC:

AS 1288 is referenced in both Volumes One and Two of the National Construction Code (NCC), making it applicable to all classes of buildings. This integration ensures consistency across building types and enhances compliance with national building standards.

Interlinking Rail Requirements:

The standard now requires interlinking handrails for glass balustrades over certain heights. Specifically, for balustrades where the difference in floor level is greater than 1000 mm, an interlinking rail must be provided. This rail must link to at least three glass panels or an adjacent structure, ensuring additional stability and safety in case of glass panel failure.

Testing Procedures:

New testing procedures have been introduced to ensure that glass balustrades meet the required performance standards. These procedures involve rigorous testing for loads, impacts, and durability to ensure that the glass and installation methods used are safe and effective[4].

These updates are designed to improve the safety, performance, and reliability of glass installations in buildings, addressing both structural and human impact considerations.

EN 14179 is a European Standard that specifies the requirements for heat-soaked thermally toughened soda-lime silicate safety glass used in building applications.

Here are the key points:

• Purpose:

  The standard ensures that the glass undergoes a heat soak process, which helps to identify and eliminate nickel sulfide inclusions that can cause spontaneous breakage in toughened glass.

  Heat Soak Process:

  EN 14179 details the heat soak process, including the temperature and duration, to ensure the safety and reliability of the glass. The process involves heating the glass to a specific temperature and maintaining it for a set period to reveal any defects

  Properties and Requirements:

  The standard specifies various physical and mechanical properties of the glass, such as tolerances, flatness, edgework, and fragmentation characteristics. These requirements ensure that the glass meets safety and performance standards for use in buildings

  Safety and Reliability:

  By adhering to the EN 14179 standard, manufacturers can produce safety glass that is less likely to fail unexpectedly, providing increased safety for building occupants

There are 3 paths to compliance:

The National Construction Code (NCC) provides a flexible framework for achieving compliance through either Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) solutions, Performance Solutions, or a combination of both. Here's how this works for glass balustrades:

Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) Solutions:

DTS solutions provide prescriptive methods and specifications that are deemed to meet the performance requirements of the NCC. For glass balustrades, this includes specific materials, dimensions, and installation techniques that ensure safety and compliance.


Performance Solutions:

Performance Solutions offer an alternative approach, allowing for innovative or unique designs that may not fit within the DTS provisions. This involves demonstrating that the proposed solution meets the performance requirements through evidence such as testing, calculations, or expert judgment.

Combination of DTS and Performance Solutions:

The NCC permits combining DTS and Performance Solutions to achieve compliance. For instance, a glass balustrade might follow DTS provisions for certain aspects, such as material specifications, while using a Performance Solution for unique design features that fall outside the standard DTS criteria.


This approach allows for greater design flexibility while ensuring that all safety and performance standards are met.

Exakt Glass have worked with consultant engineers to create a suite of glass balustrade solutions that meet the requirements of the building codes and Australian standards.

We have independent NATA accredited testing and full engineering manuals with detailed specifications.

The Process

Our consultant engineers assess your building plans and proposed balustrade for the following criteria:

• Building Class and use
• Wind Loads
• Wind hoarding effects
• Wind corner impact effects
• Finished height of barrier
• Fall height </> 5m
• Balustrade Type
• Attachment Method

These variables are used to determine the engineering computations for the design of the balustrade.

Based on the balustrade type and use one of the three methods of compliance certification will be adopted and signed off by a registered civil engineer:

• Deemed To Satisfy Solution – Regulation 126 Certificate of Compliance
• Performance Based Solution
• Combination Solution

Documentation can be preliminary or on completion of installation.