Scope
This section covers windows, doors, glazing, shower screen, skylights and the like.
Relevant Standards
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Windows, doors and components
- HB 125 The glass and glazing handbook (including guide to AS 1288, Glass in buildings - Selection and installation)
- AS 1288 Glass in buildings—Selection and installation
- AS 2047 Windows in buildings—Selection and installation
- AS/NZS 2208 Safety glazing materials in buildings
- AS 2688 Timber doors
- AS 2689 Timber doorsets
- AS 1905.1 Components for the protection of openings in fire resistant walls – Fire resistant doorsets
- AS 1905.2 Components for the protection of openings in fire resistant walls – Fire resistant roller shutters
- AS 4072.1 Components for the protection of openings in fire resistant separating elements – Service penetrations and control joints
- AS 1909 Installation of timber doors etc.
- AS 4285 Skylights
- AS/NZS 4667 Quality requirements for cut-to-size and processed glass
- AS 4290 Design and installation of revolving doors
- AS 4085 Automatic sliding doors and operators (Framed and frameless doors)
- AS 1664 Aluminium structures – Limit state design (known *AS the SAA Aluminium Structures Code)
- AS 3715 Metal finishing –Thermoset powder coating for architectural applications of aluminium and aluminium alloys
- AS/NZS 1170.2 Structural design actions - Wind actions
Weather seals
- AS 4420.4 Air infiltration test
- AS 4420.5 Water penetration resistance test
- AS 2047 Windows in buildings—Selection and installation
- AS 1939 Degrees of protection provided by enclosures for electrical equipment
- AS 1530.7 Smoke control door and shutter assemblies.
Acoustic seals
- AS 1191 Acoustics – Measurements of airborne sound transmission loss of building partitions
- AS 1276 Acoustics – Rating of sound insulation in buildings
Fire and smoke seals
- AS 1530.4 Fire resistance tests of elements of building construction
- AS 1530.7 Smoke control door and shutter assemblies
- AS 1905.1 Components for the protection of openings in fire resistant walls – Fire resistant doorsets
- AS 1851 Maintenance of fire protection equipment
- AS 1735.11 Lifts, escalators and moving walks – Fire rated landing doors
Access and mobility seals
- AS 1428.1 Design for access and mobility – new building work
- AS 1735.12 Lifts, escalators and moving walks – Facilities for persons with disabilities
Bushfire construction
- AS 3959 Construction of buildings in bushfire prone
Commencement
Work shall commence as soon as practical after, but not before,
(a) The Builder has issued:
- a written order
- the relevant contract drawings, specifications and schedule of work
- written approval of any details provided by the Contractor
(b) The wall structure has reached a stage such that the windows and doors can be installed.
Installation
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Windows, doors and glazing shall comply with the Drawings, Building Regulations and relevant Standards (AS 1288, IS 2835) and the standards referred to therein.
- Glass shall not be fixed in direct contact with hard materials that are not resilient.
- Any temporary marking shall be such that the glass is not damaged and shall be cleaned on completion. Toughened glass shall not be permanently marked after toughening.
- When carrying out grinding and edge or forming an arras, grit coarser than 180 shall not be used. Do not work across the edge from surface to surface.
- When glazing partitions, snap-in beads and resilient (PVC, butyl or similar) glazing tapes, gaskets and inserts, shall be used to ensure that the glass is held firmly without distortion.
- If frames are not used for glazed partitions, the vertical edges of adjacent panels shall be joined with a silicone jointing compound.
General
Install so that the frames are as follows:
- Plumb, level, straight and true.
- Adequately fixed or anchored to the building structure.
Frame Fixing
New Work Steel Frames: Built into masonry by means of galvanized rod (wire) ties attached to stiles at 400mm maximum centers.
Cleaning and Final Assembly
On completion, all glass and frames shall be cleaned and any required flyscreens and locks installed.
Protective Coatings
All windows, doors, and associated frames shall be protected from incidental damage during construction by a water based peelable coatings.
Note: Similar coating are also available for bench tops, bathtubs, vanities and other finished surfaces
Potential Problems and Solutions
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Window Sizes
Each window supplier has their own sizes and stud opening requirements. If a supplier, different from the one used during the detailing, is selected, the stud openings will need to be changed.
Window Dimensions
Windows dimensions are commonly expressed as height x length. If they are detailed the other way (length x height), they may be supplied incorrectly.
Reveals
The required depths of reveals depends on the type of wall, eg cavity brick, cavity block, brick veneer, timber veneer etc. Prepare the appropriate detail and specify the reveals accordingly.
Wind Pressures
Window and doors must be capable of withstanding the design wind pressures. The BCA and Australian Standards specify the appropriate glass type and thickness. It is worthwhile checking the supplier’s quotation against the design specification to ensure that they have not misinterpreted the requirements.
Door Positions
If a door is positioned too close to an adjacent perpendicular wall, the door handle may foul the wall when the door is open. Ensure that, in the fully open position, a door has adequate clearance to adjacent walls to accommodate the handle.
Door Swing
Visual intrusion from one room to another may be minimised by the direction of the door swing. For example, a view into a toilet or bathroom from a living room may be eliminated in some cases, simply by swinging the door from one particular side. The direction of swing of doors should be determined, noted on the drawings and checked on site before completion.
Door Furniture
The correct functioning of doors and door furniture (handles, locks, closers, hinges etc) should be checked before completion.
Energy Efficiency and Thermal Properties of External Glazing
The Building Code of Australia Volume 1 (BCA Vol 1) has been amended to improve the energy efficiency of Class 1 buildings. Building Code of Australia Volume 2 (BCA Vol 2) is currently being amended for energy efficiency improvements for Class 2, 3 and 4 buildings. State building regulations have been amended accordingly.
The amendments involve the inclusion of insulation in roof/ceiling spaces and in some types of walls, improvements in the effectiveness of glazing, specification of sealing and ventilation and the consideration of shading.
Commercially available software assists in the determination of energy efficiency. Alternatively, deemed-to-satisfy forms of construction are available (in some states) .
The designer must specify the appropriate thermal transmittance (U value) and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of external glazing, giving consideration to its position in the building and its shading.
Other design thermal energy design considerations are:
- Light Transmission
- Light Reflection
- Solar Transmission
- UV Transmission
- Shading Coefficient
Sound Transmission
The designer should consider and try to minimise possible sound transmission through windows and glazing. The weighted sound index (Rw) is the common means of specifying sound attenuation.
