Designation: E2751/E2751M − 13

Standard Practice for

Design and Performance of Supported Laminated Glass
Walkways1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2751/E2751M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year
of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.
A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope C1048 Specification for Heat-Strengthened and Fully Tem-

1.1 This practice addresses elements related to load-bearing pered Flat Glass
glass walkways, glass treads, and glass landings constructed C1172 Specification for Laminated Architectural Flat Glass
with laminated glass. This standard includes performance, E631 Terminology of Building Constructions
design, and safe behavior considerations. It addresses the E1300 Practice for Determining Load Resistance of Glass in
characteristics unique to glass and laminated glass. Issues that Buildings
are common to all walkways, such as slip resistance, are F609 Test Method for Using a Horizontal Pull Slipmeter
addressed in existing referenced standards. (HPS)
1.2 This practice does not address glass walkways con- 2.2 ANSI Standards:3
structed with monolithic glass, glass block, insulating glass ANSI/ASSE TR-A1264.3-2007 ANSI Technical Report, Us-
units, glass tiles that are directly bonded to a non-glass ing Variable Angle Tribometers (VAT) for Measurement of
structural substrate, or glass walkways intended to support the Slip Resistance of Walkway Surfaces
vehicular traffic. 2.3 UL Standards:4
1.3 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units UL 410 Standard for Safety for Slip Resistance of Floor
are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in Surface Materials
each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each
system shall be used independently of the other. Combining 3. Terminology
values from the two systems may result in non-conformance 3.1 Definitions—For definitions of general terms related to
with the standard. building construction used in this practice, refer to Terminol-
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the ogy E631.
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the 3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:

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responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- 3.2.1 duration of load—the period of continuous application
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- of a given load, or the aggregate of periods of intermittent
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. applications of the same load.
3.2.1.1 Discussion—Any load duration longer than one hour
2. Referenced Documents shall be considered a permanent load. Uniformly distributed
2.1 ASTM Standards:2 live loads shall have a load duration of at least one hour.
C1028 Test Method for Determining the Static Coefficient of Concentrated live loads shall have a load duration of at least
Friction of Ceramic Tile and Other Like Surfaces by the ten minutes.
Horizontal Dynamometer Pull-Meter Method 3.2.2 ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) interlayer—co-polymer
C1036 Specification for Flat Glass of ethylene and vinyl acetate used to permanently bond two or
more lites of glass.
3.2.3 glass-clad polycarbonate laminate—assembly con-
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Perfor- sisting of two or more lites of glass and one or more sheets of
mance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.56 on
Performance of Railing Systems and Glass for Floors and Stairs. polycarbonate bonded by interlayers.
Current edition approved May 1, 2013. Published June 2013. Originally
approved in 2011. Last previous edition approved in 2012 as E2751–12. DOI:
10.1520/E2751_E2751M-13.
2 3
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
4
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Available from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), 2600 N.W. Lake Rd., Camas,
the ASTM website. WA 98607-8542, http://www.ul.com.

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 E2751/E2751M − 13
3.2.4 ionomer interlayer—a partially neutralized copolymer TABLE 1 Allowable Glass Stresses for Nominal Load Conditions
of ethylene and acrylic or methacrylic acid, used to perma- NOTE 1—An allowable stress reduction factor of 0.5 is recommended
nently bond two or more lites of glass. for disruptive surface treatments, for example, sandblasting, unless
otherwise provided by the manufacturer. A glass stress reduction factor
3.2.5 laminated glass—an assembly consisting of two or may be required for some acid etched or patterned glasses; consult the
more lites of glass bonded by an interlayer. manufacturer.
3.2.6 liquid resin interlayer—liquid formulations, generally NOTE 2—Values derived from Practice E1300, Table X9.1 (seamed
polyester-, urethane-, or acrylic-based, that react to form solid edges), factored for load duration using Practice E1300, Equation X7.1,
interlayers after being introduced between two lites of glass. using n = 16 for annealed glass, n = 32 for heat strengthened glass, and
n = 48 for tempered glass.
3.2.7 polyurethane interlayer—polymer sheeting based on 3-sec 10-min 60-min Permanent
Glass Type
isocyanates and mostly polyester or acrylic polyols, or both. MPa [psi] MPa [psi] MPa [psi] MPa [psi]
Annealed 18.3 [2650] 13.2 [1902] 11.7 [1701] 5.7 [827]
3.2.8 polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer—polymer sheeting Heat- 36.5 [5300] 30.9 [4482] 29.2 [4235] 20.3 [2944]
prepared from polyvinyl alcohol by reaction with butyralde- strengthened
Tempered 73.0 [10 600] 65.3 [9471] 63.0 [9137] 49.4 [7165]
hyde used to permanently bond two or more lites of glass.
3.2.9 post-breakage glass retention—the ability of the bro-
ken glass to remain in place so as to reduce cutting and piercing
injuries from the broken shards and to prevent fall through or 4.5 The manufacturer or designer of glass walkway systems
glass fallout. shall provide installation directions and fabrication and instal-
lation tolerances of their systems.
3.2.10 slip resistant—the provision of adequate slip resis-
tance to reduce the likelihood of slip for pedestrians using 4.6 The structural integrity of the glass walkway system
reasonable care on the walking surface under expected use after glass breakage shall be sufficient to support the design
conditions. loads after any one glass ply is broken. If damage of any kind
occurs, the walkway shall be cordoned off and the installation
3.2.11 supported glass walkway—any glass walkway with a shall be inspected to ensure structural integrity and pedestrian
free spanning section, including continuous or local multiple safety of the system.
supports at the edge or any location of the glass.
3.2.12 walkway surfaces—interior and exterior walking sur- 5. Calculation Procedure
faces constructed and intended for pedestrian use, including 5.1 Use established engineering methods, such as engineer-
but not limited to floors, ramps, sidewalks, and stair treads. ing mechanics or finite element analysis, to determine glass
assembly stresses and deflections. Such methods shall account
4. Significance and Use for temperature, boundary conditions, loading requirements,
load duration, interlayer properties, and glass strength.
4.1 Glass is a brittle material with different time and
temperature-dependent properties than other solid materials 5.2 Design Criteria:
used as walkways surfaces. Therefore, the type of glass is an 5.2.1 Assign nominal load conditions or combinations of
important consideration in the design and construction of glass load conditions as required by the specifying authority.
treads and glass landings constructed with laminated glass. Additionally, the final design shall include consideration of a
concentrated live load of at least 136 kg [300 lb] applied to all
4.2 Post-breakage glass retention is an important consider- glass walking surfaces in a 2600 mm2 [4 in.2] area.
ation in the design of a glass walkway system as a means of 5.2.2 Determine maximum allowable material stress.
minimizing tripping, cutting/piercing injuries, or fall-through 5.2.2.1 Glass—Refer to Table 1 to determine allowable
or fallout of the glass. glass stress.
4.3 The structural design shall be confirmed by calculations (1) Use minimum glass thickness in accordance with
by a licensed design professional in accordance with Section 5. Specification C1036, Table 2, for design purposes.
5.2.2.2 Interlayer—Consult the interlayer manufacturer for --`,,`,,``,,,,`````,,,````,`,,,,-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

4.4 If testing is required (see 4.4.1-4.4.3) to verify post- interlayer material properties, load duration and temperature
glass breakage behavior of the glass walkway, the testing shall behavior. Typical interlayers are PVB, ionomer, liquid resin,
be in accordance with Section 6. EVA, and polyurethane.
4.4.1 For laminates with two glass plies, verification testing 5.2.2.3 Other Laminate Materials—Consult the supplier for
is required. properties of other laminate materials, such as polycarbonate.
4.4.2 For laminates with more than two glass plies, verifi- 5.2.3 The structural support system shall provide sufficient
cation testing is not required provided that calculations com- strength to support the combined applicable loads.
pleted in accordance with 4.3 demonstrate that the glass 5.2.4 Deflection of the floor members shall conform to
assembly has sufficient strength to sustain the full design load relevant building code requirements.
with any one glass ply broken.
4.4.3 When verifying post-breakage behavior by 6. Post-breakage Verification Test Methods
calculation, allowable glass stress for 10 min load duration in 6.1 Assign nominal load conditions or combinations of load
accordance with Table 1 shall be used for all load cases. conditions as required by the specifying authority.

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 E2751/E2751M − 13
6.2 Test for the dominant load case (uniform load or 7.2 Materials:
concentrated load) as determined by calculations in accordance 7.2.1 Glass Selection—Glass selection is based on many
with Section 5. factors, including strength, fabrication, durability, aesthetics,
6.3 Test the glass as a system with frame and attachments. cost, and glass post-breakage behavior.
7.2.1.1 Annealed Glass—Refer to Specification C1036 for
6.4 For walkways with two supported edges, test a panel requirements pertaining to flat glass.
with the largest span between supports. For walkways with 7.2.1.2 Heat-Strengthened Glass—Refer to Specification
three or more supported edges, test the sample size that C1048 for requirements pertaining to heat-strengthened glass.
represents the most demanding or highest stress condition. 7.2.1.3 Tempered Glass—Refer to Specification C1048 for
6.5 Condition glass for at least four hours at the same requirements pertaining to tempered glass.
temperature at which it will be tested. 7.2.1.4 Laminated Glass—Refer to Specification C1172 for
6.6 Conduct testing at the maximum temperature for the requirements pertaining to laminated glass.
intended use environment. When the intended end use envi- 7.2.2 Interlayer Selection—Interlayer selection is based on
ronment is unknown, conduct testing at 50°C and 0°C 6 5°C. many factors, including strength, fabrication, durability,
aesthetics, cost, and glass post-breakage behavior.
6.7 Concentrated Load Testing:
6.7.1 Break any one glass lite to produce the most unfavor- 7.3 Structural Support System:
able results. The worst case condition shall be determined by 7.3.1 The glass edge support system shall be sufficiently
analysis or all combinations of broken glass shall be tested. stiff to limit the deflection of the supported glass edges under
6.7.2 Apply the specified load over a 2600 mm2 [4 in.2] area the design load to no more than L/500 of their lengths, where
at a rate of 45.4 kg [100 lbs] per minute up to the design load L is the supported length of the glass, unless analysis taking
and hold for a duration of 10 min. into account frame deflection effects on glass stress is carried
6.7.3 At the conclusion of testing, no additional glass plies out in combination with the design loads in accordance with
shall have broken. Section 5.
7.3.2 The glass shall be cushioned to prevent direct contact
6.8 Uniform Load Testing: with the glass support system.
6.8.1 Break any one glass lite to produce the most unfavor-
able results. Worst case condition shall be determined by 7.4 Dynamic Use Considerations:
analysis or all combinations of broken glass shall be tested. 7.4.1 The licensed design professional shall consider the
6.8.2 Apply the specified uniform load at a rate of 30 psf/ necessity of a glass floor systems vibration review, and if
min up to the design pressure and hold for a duration of 60 min. necessary, perform such review. Considerations may include
6.8.3 At the conclusion of testing, no additional glass plies system continuity, supports, and deflection compatibility with
shall have broken. adjacent structures.
7.5 Fire Resistance Requirements:
7. Other Considerations 7.5.1 Glass walkways shall provide a fire rating when
7.1 Slip Resistance: required by the authority having jurisdiction.
7.1.1 A minimum static coefficient of friction of 0.5 is 7.6 Visual Cues:
recommended for walking surfaces under dry conditions. Wet
or contaminated conditions may require the use of special 7.7 Glass walkways present a special challenge in balancing
precautions and measures to minimize the risk of slips and the visual characteristics of glass with considerations of safety.
falls. Visual cues of conditions that impair the ability of pedestrians
7.1.2 Non-level walkways or walkways on which other to walk safely shall be incorporated into the glass walkway
special activities take place, such as lifting, running, athletic design.
activities, may require a higher level of slip resistance. 8. Durability
7.1.3 Appropriate levels of slip resistance can be accom-
plished through a variety of glass surface treatments, including 8.1 The walking surface of the glass shall be designed with
sandblasting, acid-etching, ceramic frit, embossing, kiln suitable durability for the specified application. In cases where
casting/fusing, and other processes designed to treat the walk- use of the walkway eventually reduces its slip resistance,
ing surface. instruction shall be provided to the end user regarding safe
7.1.4 The selection of the slip resistant treatment shall be maintenance and replacement requirements.
made according to the intended use and desired durability of 8.2 The use of cleaning and maintenance equipment shall be
the walking surface. tested for compatibility with the glass walking surface and
7.1.5 Evaluate slip resistance using one of the following test walking surface components.
methods or by other methods selected as appropriate for use:
7.1.5.1 Test Method C1028 9. Keywords
7.1.5.2 Test Method F609 9.1 annealed glass; glass; glass floor; glass stair treads; glass
7.1.5.3 UL 410 walkways; heat-strengthened glass; laminated glass; tempered
7.1.5.4 ANSI/ASSE TR-A1264.3-2007 glass

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 E2751/E2751M − 13
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