Norms on glass facades in complexes

HYDERABAD: Usage of glass which is not of ISI mark in commercial complexes, multiplexes, shopping complexes and multistoreyed buildings by developers, builders and owners will be prohibited by the State Government.

In Greater Hyderabad one can find hundreds of shopping complexes and multiplexes which have glass facades but the glass being poor quality.

The State Government has issued guidelines and conditions on safe use of glass in buildings through appropriate building bye-laws which is aimed to ensure human safety and public interest and to minimise usee of glass and to avoid human risk and ensure safety while using glass in the buildings.

All the corporations, municipalities and urban development authorities should follow the guidelines and conditions whenever permissions are accorded for use of glass in multistoreyed buildings and ensure the quality of glass as per International Residential Code (IRC) and to make the building owner and the engineer, architect responsible for ensuring the use of glass complies with the stands and to insist for a joint certification of the building owner and the licensed engineer/registered architect to the effect that the usage of glass in the building is done properly according to the standards of IRC. Wrong selection of glass type is widespread and results in increased heat gain/loss in buildings and the higher risk of injuries to humans.

Further, safety glazing ( g l a s s ) i s required by IRC in a number of locations and i s intended to reduce the potential for injury in the event of accidental impact with the glass.

The Confederation of Construction Products and Services (CCPS), New Delhi, a nonprofit organisation which prepared the guidelines on use of glass in buildings requested State Government to issue instructions to the authorities concerned in the public interest and to help in minimising use of glass and to include the guidelines in NBCC for better adoption.

The Director of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), Hyderabad, and GHMC in their proposals have supported the proposals and requested the government to put certain conditions and issue guidelines on usage of glass in buildings and to ensure human safety.

The government, after taking into consideration the recommendations made by CCPS, DTCP, GHMC, has issued guidelines and conditions on usage of glass in commercial complexes, multiplexes and multistoried buildings to ensure human safety and public interest and to minimise the usage of glass and to avoid human risk and ensure safety while using glass in the buildings.

The guidelines stipulate that safety glazing material shall be used where (a) Any glazing is within 1.5. metre above the floor level of building, (b) There is danger of falling infill glass materials from overhead glazing and (c) There is danger of galling due to change in floor level in case of balustrades, stairs and floors.

Necessary precautions should be taken to enhance a person’s awareness of the presence of glass by making glass visible and to minimise manual handling of large pieces of glass during installation. Any glass with still height >0.75m or with residual protection type of glass should be used as vertical walls. Still height.