BASIC DESIGN CRITERIA FOR AN IMPACT TEST FRAME FOR SAFETY GLAZING

The Spanish Building Code establishes the essential requirements of safety and habitability that buildings must satisfy. The Basic Document of Safety in Use and Accessibility identifies some critical areas which may cause a risk to the user. It also establishes the minimum performance of glasses located in such areas, according to the impact procedure described in UNE-EN 12600:2003. However, the standard does not provide detailed information about the characteristics of the test equipment, but indicates a final calibration as a validation test. The general criteria and conditions of this calibration are also incorporated in the UNE-EN 12600. To better achieve successful manufacture of a pendulum complying with the calibration limits, a proposal of the basic design criteria of a test frame for impacts of safety glazing is presented. Prototypes and results were evaluated using dynamic design criteria of the impact phenomenon. Three criteria proposed and applied in the design and manufacture of a real test frame have helped to achieve the calibration required by the UNE-EN 12600:2003. The repeatability and reproducibility of the tests presented also guarantee the robustness of the set-up.