Field testing of railings and guardrails

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Author Message Robin E. Snyder Senior Member Username: robin Post Number: 321 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Sunday, July 11, 2010 - 09:34 pm:    Masterspec includes field testing of metal railings and also glass railings "if required". When would this be required? I don't see any reference to testing of railings except IBC 1704.3 which addresses welding. What about manufactured metal/glass railings such as HDI? Justatim Member Username: justatim Post Number: 3 Registered: 04-2010 Posted on Monday, July 12, 2010 - 10:53 am:    This is discussed in MasterSpec's Evaluations in an Article called "Structural Performance Requirements." Mark Gilligan SE, Senior Member Username: mark_gilligan Post Number: 292 Registered: 10-2007 Posted on Monday, July 12, 2010 - 03:37 pm:    The problem is that the architect typically specifies and details the handrails without any engineering assistance. There may be a detail showing its attachment to the wall or other structural elements that may not have had any engineering review. In this context nobody can have confidence that the railings satisfy the code requirements. It appears that somebody recognized the problem and is attempting to resolve it by requiring a load test. The problem is that if the test fails you have to either replace the railing and/or modify the attachment detail along with providing stronger backing. I can easily see this leading to a claim from the contractor for extra. You could resolve this concern by paying the structural engineer to provide engineering assistance and to make sure that the wall framing is strong enough to resist the code loads in which case you would not need load testing. Another option is to require that the contractor be responsible for the design but he may resist making changes to the wall framming. My guess is that if we properly tested existing hand rails that a significant number would fail. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, July 12, 2010 - 04:29 pm:    Only a portion of the entire story is being told here, folks. In MasterSpec Section 05 7300 Decorative Metal Railings, language for testing the completed railing assemblies is included in Part 3 under Article Field Quality Control. This is something the specifier (with a nod from the Owner) may retain when the Contractor is required to design the railing assemblies in accordance with performance criteria found in Part 1 (I think that these criteria are slowly being moved into Part 2, as a result of CSI's brilliant improvements to SectionFormat). The whole of the story is that, when design is delegated to Contractor (often the case with railings, stairs, etc.), field testing may be required as well, at the option of the Owner, paid for by the Owner. Field testing is not meant to prove that the design calculations were performed correctly, but that the railing was fabricated and installed correctly. Delegated design requires that a licensed professional engineer design whatever is asked of the Contractor, and that stamped certification is provided as proof of this. No resolution necessary. The railings are being designed by an engineer, one way or another. Note that MasterSpec Section 05 5213 Pipe and Tube Railings does not contain a Field Quality Control Article, and is not included as an option to the specifier. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 973 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, July 12, 2010 - 08:43 pm:    the lack of field quality control in Section 05 5213 may have more to do with the update/revision schedule of the spec section rather than anything else. And of course, if a designer wants field quality control they may include it no matter what the section originally includes. the "if required" typically in these sections means "if required by local code authorities".