Two new ISO standards on security glazing will help protect people against terrorist attacks Increasing the protection of persons and property from accidental explosion and from the effects of terrorist attacks with high explosives are the aims of the two new ISO International Standards for testing the resistance of security glazing.

Design based on knowledge of the air-blast resistance of security glazing reduces the risk of personal injury pointed out Valérie Block, secretary of the subcommittee 2 of the ISO technical committee that has developed the standards, adding: “Explosion resistance of glazing has become a high priority in many commercial and government buildings as a means of protecting people and property from accidental explosions or the effect of terrorist bombs.”

The new ISO standards will allow security glazing, including that fabricated from glass, plastic glazing sheet material, glass-clad plastics, laminated glass, insulated glass, glass/plastic glazing materials and film-backed glass, to be tested and classified in a standard frame.

ISO 16933, Glass in building – Explosion-resistant security glazing –Test and classification for arena air-blast loading, provides a method for carrying out arena blast tests in order to assess and classify the response of glazing to the overpressure and impulse characteristics of high-explosive blasts.

This International Standard provides a structured procedure to determine the air-blast resistance of glazing and sets forth the required apparatus, procedures, specimens, other requirements and guidelines for conducting arena air-blast tests of security glazing. Seven standard blasts simulating vehicle bombs and seven standard blasts simulating smaller satchel bombs that can be used to classify glazing performance are incorporated in this International Standard and cover a broad range of blast parameters.

ISO 16934, Glass in building – Explosion-resistant security glazing – Test and classification by shock-tube loading provides a method for carrying out tests simulating high-explosive blasts and provides criteria for rating the level of damage to glazing from which can be assessed the hazard consequences to the area located behind the glazing.

The classifications and test results derived by using these International Standards can be used in conjunction with calculation procedures and further validation tests on framed glass during the process of designing complete glazing systems against explosive threats.

These standards are a part of a series of test and classification standards about destructive windstorm-resistant-security glazing (ISO 16932:2007), bullet-resistant security glazing (ISO 16935:2007), forced-entry security glazing (ISO 16936 1-4:2005).

These test methods to assess security performance of glazing materials are developed by ISO/TC 160, Glass in building, subcommittee SC 2, Use considerations.

ISO 16933:2007 and ISO 16934:2007 cost 102 Swiss francs each and are available from national member institutes (see the complete list with contact details) and ISO Central Secretariat (see below).