Want to add glass balustrades to a residential or commercial building over 11 metres?
Now you can with OnLevel’s FLAMELESS glass balustrading solution. Our system complies with Approved Document B, providing the ideal solution for projects that have to adhere to the new regulations.
Changes to Approved Document B – Fire Safety
The amendments to Approved Document B bans the use of all combustible materials on the external face of residential buildings (including buildings which have rooms for residential purposes) over 11 metres in height.
To be compliant, all materials have to achieve a fire classification of A1 or A2, s1-d0 in full accordance with BS EN 13501 – entitled fire classification of construction products and building elements. Classification using test data from reaction to fire tests (ISBN 978 0 0580 59861 6), published by the British Standards Institution on 30th March 2007 and amended in November 2009
This material ban became effective from 21st December 2018 (though didn’t affect buildings retrospectively, provided full planning was signed off and building works started on-site by the 21st February 2019). Additional amendments made in December 2022 now affects even more projects.
What does Approved Document B mean for frameless glass balustrading?
The performance of all materials used in frameless glass balustrades must meet the specifications of class A1 or A2-s1 d0 ratings:
• An A1 rating confirms the product is non-combustible. An A2 rating confirms limited combustibility and very limited contribution to fire.
• S1 confirms low smoke emission rate and speed.
• D0 confirms no generation of droplets.
Issues such as glass containment and UV stability must also be addressed:
Glass containment measures must ensure that when a single ply breaks, the fragments of glass stay adhered to the interlayer, maintaining rigidity and still acting as fall protection, thereby providing the same performance as regular laminated glass.
UV stability is another important consideration when specifying glass in frameless balustrades and must be validated by testing products for outdoor usage, ensuring suitability for use on external balconies. Only suitably tested and warrantied products should be used.
Frameless glass balustrade system materials such as toughened glass and nano composite gel meet the required classifications.
Why specify our Flameless glass balustrade system?
Our system, including glass, fully complies with Approved Document B, using A2, s1-d0 rated glass (2 panels of fully thermally toughened glass and a nanogel composite interlayer). It is fully impact rated (pendulum test) to EN 12600 and achieves the highest 1B1 rating. Testing has also been carried out in full accordance to BS 6180:2011 (barriers in and about buildings) and BS 8579:2020 (guide to design of balconies and terraces).
