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The GGF Fire Resistant Glazing Group and its guidance are featured this month on IFSEC Global – a leading news provider and online forum to learn, connect and discuss everything security and fire related.

The feature article compiled by Ron Alalouff (a journalist and editor specialising in the fire and security markets) in conjunction with members of the GGF Fire Resistant Glazing Group includes an outline of the types of fire resistant glazing, how fire resistant systems work and the importance of the components and installation of Fire Resistant Glazing.

The online article also has links to the GGF Fire Resistant Glazing Guide and Video “Getting it wrong, getting it right” which highlights the performance of Fire Resistance Glazing.

You can read the full feature article here

Over the last few years, the construction Industry has come under greater scrutiny than ever before and with changes imminent for compliance marking and building regulations, the industry needs to ensure that the products manufactured and used are “fit for purpose”, have been tested and are proven to meet the legal and health and safety requirements for the application. Recent history shows that failure to provide the right product can have devastating consequences including not just damage to property but the loss of life.

David Borland, GGF Senior Technical Officer comments, “As the industry’s leading trade body, the GGF insists that Members’ have a duty of care to ensure that their products will perform to the standard or performance necessary for the situation. The substitution of vital components within a product’s composition can have distinct effect on its performance whether it’s a window or door or any glazing product placed on the market.”

When it comes to placing products on the market, the choices for companies manufacturing, processing and fabricating need careful consideration. This new guidance from the GGF clearly and accurately informs window and doorset fabricators of their roles and responsibilities in ensuring that products which are placed on the market consistently meet the claimed performance standards as tested and/or certified by a 3rd Party such as BSI Kitemark™.

David Borland added, “This new Guide highlights possible issues and problems that can occur when substituting products in place of those of a System House component supplier or other manufacturer which are approved, tested and/or certified. Knowing these potential problems is particularly important when third party type testing is cascaded and used to support product safety and performance claims for certification and/or regulatory compliance. I’d urge all Members to read this document to ensure they are considering their choices when selecting components for their products.”

GGF Members can download or view the new guide here

GGF Senior Technical Officer, Ben Wallace provides an update on the challenges facing companies in the glass and glazing supply chain and puts forward some recommendations for GGF Members in order to cope with the current issues.

As the toll on human health from the spread of Covid-19 is evaluated, the economic effects of the crisis and the livelihoods at stake are also coming to light. At the GGF we are hearing of extensive delays within the supply-chain of the glass and glazing industry, and throughout the construction industry as a whole. GGF Members must respond on multiple fronts at once, at the same time that they work to protect their workers safety, they must also safeguard their operational viability now increasingly under strain from a supply-chain shock.

As well as Covid-19, other factors have led to disruptions causing the slowing of the construction supply-chain, including; container shortages, factory fires and the recent blocking of the Suez Canal. This has already led to the current global shortage of many materials used within our industry, and more recently the supply disruption of another critical category of materials is occurring – plastics. Constraints on the supplies of their raw materials, especially polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and monoethylene (MEG) are leading to factory shutdowns, sharp price increases and production delays across the construction sector. It is not un-realistic to believe that this will have a knock on effect for both Un-plasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride (UPVC) and Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC). 

With two float lines down at major glass manufacturers and interlayer shortages, especially with Polyvinyl Butyral (PvB), laminated glass supply is being allocated. We are also receiving reports of extensive delays throughout IGU production. It is important to understand that there are underlying uncertainties in the forecast for both the short and medium term.

We recommend that GGF members should:

• Create a clear plan throughout supply chains, establishing a list of critical components, determining the origin of supply and identifying alternative sources. As we open up a global UK we have an opportunity to identify new supply chains from alternate global regions.

• Estimate available inventory along the chain for use as a bridge to keep production running and enable delivery to customers. It’s now more important to test the resilience of material supply chain through business continuity scenario planning.  

• Assess realistic customer demand for both the short and medium term and ensure you manage your customers’ expectations.

• Optimise production and distribution capacity to ensure employee safety and engaging with teams to share infection risk levels and work from home options. These steps will enable managers to understand current and projected capacity levels in both workforce and materials.

• Understanding where supply-chain issues will start to cause a financial impact and protecting your company against future supply-chain price increases.

With the positive news that the glass and glazing sector has bounced back relatively quickly under difficult circumstances, and homeowners are continuing to invest into their properties, it is important that members formulate a strategy to balance demand against a slower supply chain. Members should note that lead time extensions and price fluctuations may be factor throughout the second half of 2021 and into 2022.

With this is mind, management of demand and lead times is essential and consumer facing members need to make their customers aware of potential delays. Dates and prices agreed with homeowners must be achievable.

On a positive note, with the heightened supply chain awareness and knowledge Covid-19 has brought, it will better our position to continue managing our industry through any future challenges that may emerge.

As Building Information Modelling (BIM) becomes more relevant in the glass and glazing industry, the GGF Technical team is in collaboration with other industry experts to develop BIM Product Data Templates (PDTs). The GGF has joined a working sub-group of the BIM Fenestration Relevant Authority (which includes trade bodies such as Guild of Architectural Ironmongers and British Woodworking Federation) to create templates that will make it easier for GGF Members to create their own Product Data Documentation for inclusion in the BIM systems. BIM is the digitalization of physical and functional characteristics of building products, components, materials and systems and is a shared knowledge resource for information that is increasingly being used by architects, building managers, specifiers and contractors.

GAI continue to be at the forefront of the provision of BIM product Data Templates for the wider construction industry. GAI Technical Manager Douglas Masterson, who is also Chairman of BIM Fenestration Relevant Authority has recently overseen the creation of a brand new doorset PDT, through a working group co-chaired with Kevin Underwood of BWF which is available in the technical section of the GAI website.

In the next project for the Relevant Authority, GAI and the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) have agreed to work together to create a series of PDTs for window hardware

Kevin Jones, Technical Officer of GGF said “Like the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF), Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) is a long established, well respected and leading trade organisation within our sector. Therefore, we welcome the opportunity to work alongside the GAI in the creation of the GGF BIM (Building Information Modelling) Product Data Templates so that we can offer our Members the very best resources to help them with their business. We look forward to the possibility of future collaborations.”

Douglas Masterson also welcomes this opportunity to work with GGF and said “working together with GGF on areas of mutual concern such as BIM PDTs makes so much sense. As a wider panel of industry experts we can utilise the many years of experience and expertise we both have access to and do something which our combined industries can use and be proud of for many years to come.”

GAI continue to develop their own range of PDTs for hardware, through the ongoing work with the French trade association UNIQ, which will enhance the existing library by ensuring these are in alignment with the ISO 23386 BIM data dictionary standard.

The GGF Technical department will provide updates and status on the BIM Product Data Templates on the GGF Technical Hub. Members will be notified of further developments in due course.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the GGF Technical Team have not only been providing technical support to Members but have also been busy updating and creating no less than 10 new Technical Datasheets and in a refreshing re-design. 

The Datasheets have been updated and aligned with the very latest legislation and industry developments. 

The product categories covered in the revisions are the 4.8.1 Datasheet regarding Mirrors – the Visual Quality Standard for Installed Mirrors and the 5.18 series for Window Film. (Adhesive Backed Polymeric Filmed Glass).

The GGF Technical Team and now working on revising more Datasheets in Section 4 of The Glazing Manual including Datasheet 4.8 “Recommendations for fitting Mirrors” and Series 4.6 which includes a series of five Datasheets on Channel Glass.

With UK legislation and international, European and British Standards changing combined with the industry developing, the GGF Technical library is constantly revised and updated, to reflect the changes and to ensure Members get the best and most up to date guidance in the industry.

David Borland, GGF Senior Technical Officer said “As well as our ongoing assessment of changes to legislation and standards, we have also listened carefully to Members’ requests for Datasheets and Trade Guidance documents over the period prior to the lockdown. Very quickly, we created a priority list and have started delivering accordingly. We believe that these new and updated Datasheets will provide a valuable and up to date technical resource for Members operating in these sectors.”

To view/download the Datasheets please see list below and scroll over to select and click to access the PDF documents.

GGF Data Sheet 4.8.1
Mirrors – Visual Quality for Installed Mirrors

GGF Data Sheet 5.18.8
Adhesive Backed Polymeric Film Guidelines for Installation onto Existing Glazing

GGF Data Sheet 5.18.1
Visual Quality for Adhesive Backed Polymeric Filmed Glass

GGF Data Sheet 5.18.2A
Installation Quality Standard for Applying Adhesive Backed Polymeric Film to Glass

GGF Data Sheet 5.18.3
Recommendations for Adhesive Backed Polymeric Film Applied to Glass: Definitions, Descriptions and Components

GGF Data Sheet 5.18.4
Recommendations for Adhesive Backed Polymeric Film Applied to Glass in the Overhead Position for Containment of Glass in the Event of Failure: Types of Systems and Precautions in Use

GGF Data Sheet 5.18.5
Recommendations for Adhesive Backed Polymeric Film Applied to Glass in the Overhead Position for Containment of Glass in the Event of Failure: Test Method

GGF Data Sheet 5.18.6
Recommendations for Blast Mitigation: Adhesive Backed Polymeric Film Applied to Glass

GGF Data Sheet 5.18.7
Standard for On-Site Peel Adhesion Testing of Aged Adhesive Backed Polymeric Film Applied to Vertical Flat Glass

To view all GGF Datasheets in The Glazing Manual please click here

LOW SIGHTLINE INSULATING GLASS UNITS AND COMPLIANCE TO THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS REGULATIONS

Some Planning Authorities, when granting Planning Consent for works to be carried out on Listed Buildings, buildings in Conservation Areas in Scotland and Conservation Areas in England where an Article 4 Direction has been placed on a property, place conditions on the consent that indirectly limits the type of glazing that can be used.

The conditions usually relate to the dimensions of the window components in place when the listing or conservation area was created. These restrictions on window component design will often restrict both the overall thickness of the Insulating Glass Units and restrict the glazing rebate upstand and therefore the edge-seal depth (edge of glass to top of spacer-bar), usually referred to as the IGU edge-seal sightline.

The conditions imposed by Planning Officers may result in:

• Overall  thickness of the IGU of 12mm, 14mm or 16mm meaning a cavity width of 4mm, 6, or 8mm respectively when using 4mm glass.
• Where window sashes/casements are sub-divided into small panes, all panes must be individually glazed, internal/external astragals may not be permitted.
• Limits on window components usually result in limits on the visual width of glazing bars which sub-divide sashes/casements.
• The limits imposed on glazing bar widths means that IGUs of standard construction with edge-seal sightlines of 10mm – 12mm cannot be used as the spacer-bar would be visible after glazing.
• Wide cavities even 6mm enable multiple reflections to be seen in the glazing this may result in the use of Double Glazing being rejected

Some IGU manufacturers supply IGUs with a significantly reduced edge-seal sightline, these IGUs may not have the necessary EN 1279-2, EN 1279-3 and EN 1279-4 test evidence to demonstrate they are durable and therefore may not have a reasonable service life.

The GGFs position in relation to these IGU being placed on the market without the necessary test evidence is given in our publication – Narrow Cavity Insulating Glass Units (IGUs) with Reduced Spacer-bar Sightlines which can be downloaded from the GGF Members Area at:

It is GGF Best Practice that GGF Members do not manufacture and place Low Sightline IGUs on the market unless they have the necessary test evidence for that specific specification to demonstrate durability and enable them to comply with the requirements of the Construction Products Regulations. GGF Members should also refer to the GGF Industry Guidance document – Insulating Glass Units (IGUs) – Conforming to the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) which can be downloaded from the GGF Members Area at: