Define Windscreen

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Author Message Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 1532 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Monday, December 07, 2015 - 04:49 pm:    Another stupid question perhaps, an architect has labeled a glass railing as a windscreen, anyone care to define windscreen? Or am I just being cynical. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 969 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Monday, December 07, 2015 - 05:04 pm:    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=windscreen Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 1533 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Monday, December 07, 2015 - 06:05 pm:    Ken, I'm not sure how to respond to that, knowing your bizarre sense of humor I will respond by saying....ha...ha! Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 521 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Monday, December 07, 2015 - 06:21 pm:    Your state probably has structural performance criteria for guardrails and railings, but may not for "windscreens". If these windscreens are at locations where you would otherwise be required to provide guardrails, they should be specified to match the structural performance criteria for guardrails. Ronald L. Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1369 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Monday, December 07, 2015 - 08:30 pm:    Taking a shot in the dark... Is this for a exterior space located on the roof or upper floors of a high-rise building? If that's the case, then maybe they are using a typical guardrail system and locating it above the parapet to allow views but block the wind. If that's the case, then the loading on the glass system will be completely different from that on a guardrail. Ron Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 1534 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Monday, December 07, 2015 - 11:14 pm:    And Ron Geren does it again, right you are, except it does not look like a guardrail, instead a scary glass wall "blocked" by a shallow planter. Actually the configuration of the windscreen has yet to be resolved. Right now its called out as a laminated glass windscreen with metal plate posts and is located at the perimeter of the 32nd floor of a 52 story building. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: michael_chusid Post Number: 101 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Tuesday, December 08, 2015 - 03:49 am:    I am writing an article about how to incorporate lightning protection into glass hand rails or wind screens. On terraces like that described by Jerome, vertical air terminals (lightning rods) can be visually intrusive and subject to abuse by pedestrians. Instead, a metal railing or other "structural member" located above the glass can be an acceptable air termination under NFPA 780. The standard requires the railing to be made of metal 3/8" thick, min., so the profile does not significantly interfere with sight lines. The trick is to make the railing electrically continuous. Contact me offline if this is applicable to your project. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru Dave Metzger Senior Member Username: davemetzger Post Number: 617 Registered: 07-2001 Posted on Tuesday, December 08, 2015 - 10:28 am:    We've done this for various projects over the years. Laminated glass is the right way to go. If the planter does not comply with the height requirements for a guardrail, the "windscreen" would have to be designed for the greater of guardrail loading and wind loading. If the top and side edges of the glass panels are not concealed with framing, they should be capped (eg with a stainless steel cap), or use a laminated glass interlayer material that can withstand weather exposure with delaminating. On one project in DC, the roof terrace overlooked Lafayette Park and the White House, so the Secret Service got involved with the glass screen design, especially for minimum height. Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 1535 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Tuesday, December 08, 2015 - 10:40 am:    David in South Florida all glass is laminated, it is true the interlayer thickness is flexible depending on the loading. Thanks for the input. Hey David was that you kneeling in the front row of the SCIP group photo, showing off that you can even kneel makes me so jealous?