AS 1288 and EN 16612: glass design outside the US

A different way to think about safety

E1300 gives a load resistance for a pane and asks that the design load stays below it. AS 1288 and EN 16612 work with limit states. They check the strength of the glass under an ultimate load and the deflection under a serviceability load. The two ideas are close, but they are not the same, so do not compare a result from one standard with a result from another.

AS 1288

AS 1288:2021 is the Australian standard for glass in buildings. GlassLoad.com uses the simplified method of Section 4, which covers monolithic, laminated and insulating glass. You enter the ultimate pressure and the serviceability pressure, already combined to AS/NZS 1170, in kPa. The tool gives a ratio of your span to the allowable span for strength, and a separate verdict for deflection.

The thickness finder returns the thinnest thickness of Table 4.1 that passes both checks. The AS 1288 page lists what is covered, and Example 1 shows a pane worked step by step.

EN 16612

EN 16612:2019 is the European standard for glass panes under lateral load. It is published in the UK as BS EN 16612. You enter characteristic wind, snow and self weight loads in kPa. The tool applies the partial factors of Table 2 and checks each load combination, with Eq 1 for strength and Eq 2 for deflection.

The design strength of the glass depends on the glass type and on the load duration. The stress in a pane with four supported edges follows Annex B. Laminated glass uses Annex D and insulating glass uses Annex C. The EN 16612 page lists what is covered, and Example 1 works a pane by hand.

What you must bring

• The wind pressure. GlassLoad.com does not work it out. Use the wind standard of your project.
• Snow and other loads, where they act on the glass.
• The load combination rules of the standard and of your national annex or code.
• The size, support, glass type and build up of the pane.
• The deflection limit your project accepts.

Units

AS 1288 and EN 16612 work in millimeters and kPa, and EN 16612 also uses N/mm². E1300 results in GlassLoad.com show psf first, then kPa. Check the unit of every number you copy into a report.

Where to start

Read the worked examples first, because each one shows every step beside the printed answer. Then open the calculator and choose the standard. If your question is the size of the glass for a wind load, read the guide to choosing glass thickness for wind load or the questions and answers. Results are to be verified by a qualified professional.