What is the maximum span of glass railing?

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The maximum span of glass railings is influenced by factors such as glass thickness, type, support method, and application scenario. Generally speaking:

1. For ¼-inch tempered glass with only the top and bottom restrained, the recommended maximum span is 60 inches (about 1524 mm).
2. For ⅜-inch tempered glass with only the top and bottom restrained, the recommended maximum span is 96 inches (about 2438.4 mm).
3. For ½-inch tempered glass with only the top and bottom restrained, the recommended maximum span is 120 inches (about 3048 mm).

However, in practical applications, the maximum span of glass railings is usually not recommended to exceed 1.2 meters. Moreover, for larger – span glass railings, thicker glass is required, such as 18 – mm – thick glass for panels over 1.7 meters in length. At the same time, local building codes and relevant standards should be complied with, and a licensed engineer or architect should be consulted to determine the appropriate structural strength and maximum span for specific applications.

There are safety standards and regulations for glass railing spans, which are specified in relevant national and industry. The main ones are as follows:

• General Provisions on the Application of Civil Building Codes (GB 55031 – 2022): It is stipulated that the glass railing of the over – hanging part of the balcony, outer corridor, indoor corridor, atrium, inner patio, accessible roof and stairs should adopt laminated glass. When the lowest point of the glass railing is not more than 5m from the floor height on one side, the nominal thickness of the toughened laminated glass should not be less than 16.76mm.
• Technical Specification for the Application of Building Glass (JGJ 113 – 2015): For indoor railing glass, when the lowest point of the railing glass is less than 3m from the floor height on one side, toughened glass with a nominal thickness of not less than 12mm or toughened laminated glass with a nominal thickness of not less than 16.76mm should be used. When the height is between 3m and 5m, toughened laminated glass with a nominal thickness of not less than 16.76mm should be used.
• Technical Standard for Building Protection Railings (JGJ/T 470 – 2019): It is specified that the glass used for building protection railings should be laminated glass, and should be edged and chamfered. The edge – grinding should be fine – grinding, and the chamfer width should not be less than 1mm. This standard, together with JGJ 113, restricts the material and processing technology of glass, which also indirectly affects the safe use of glass railing spans.

In addition, some local standards and industry – specific specifications may also have more detailed regulations on the spans of glass railings. When designing, constructing and accepting glass railings, relevant requirements should be strictly implemented to ensure safety.

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