External Fixtures
Designing balustrades with safety and style
Nick Haughton, marketing manager at Sapphire Balustrades, explains the importance of thinking beyond the aesthetics when it comes to design- ing a residential balustrade project.
A
lthough visual appeal is obviously a key design priority, a balustrade must also be fit for purpose. Housebuilders and developers need
smart solutions that comply with current legislation, particularly in terms of safety, and will withstand the rigours of everyday use with minimal maintenance. With these requirements, a range of RIBA-approved CPD presentations have been developed, featuring videos, technical drawings and photos that offer inspirational ideas and solutions to common problems and regulation issues. This overview highlights the key considerations for designing balustrade solutions that combine style with safety and durability.
Balustrades As well as achieving the right look for a particular project, balustrade designs must comply with rele- vant British standards relating to structural integrity and design loads, and Building Regulations such as Document M, to ensure they meet the needs of all users irrespective of age or physical ability. Failing to comply with these requirements can have serious
consequences. Apart from a potentially costly project delay if a design is refused by planners or building control, inappropriately designed or installed balustrades can result in fatalities or perma- nent injuries. Balustrades provide a vital protective barrier
where there is a change in level greater than 600mm in dwellings (380mm in commercial applications). Balustrades for communal stairways or balconies should be designed to minimise the risk of persons slipping through gaps. In effect, this means that balustrades should not have gaps that permit a sphere of 100mm diameter to pass through, and in residential applications this includes the ‘triangle’ formed by the tread and riser. It is also important when designing balustrades to ensure that they are not easy to climb, particularly by children, and where glass infill panels are used, manifestation may be required as an additional safety feature. These are just a few of the technical design con- siderations, and it should be noted that different parts of a building or staircase within the same project can contain areas that fall into different design categories. To make it easier to create compliant designs a unique tool for bespoke structural calculations for
individual balustrades or handrail projects has been developed. This provides the necessary data to determine whether a proposed design complies with structural requirements.
‘The design possibilities are virtually limitless’
Handrails Handrails assist in the access and use of buildings and, like balustrades, their design is covered by a raft of regulations relating to aspects such as height, colour, positioning, and dimensions. In most situa- tions, handrails should be positioned on both sides of flights of stairs and landings, and cater for all users. While standard heights should be between 900mm and 1,000mm above the landing, ramp or flight pitch line, a second handrail for children at 600mm high may be required in some applications. In addition, handrails should terminate in a way that reduces the risk of clothing being caught. A contrast
in colour and luminescence to their surroundings can enhance visibility, especially in low-light internal stairways, while external handrails should be ‘not cold to touch’ for user comfort.
Aesthetics There is extensive scope in terms of materials, profile shapes, fixings, and detailing, to create a unique style
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