Balustrades need to be designed to protect persons from falling from height. This guide aims to explain the key balustrade loading requirements. Table 4 specifies minimum horizontal imposed loads appropriate to the design of parapets, barriers,balustrades and other elements of a structure intended to retain, stop or guide people.
The loads given in Table 4 should be treated as the unfactored or characteristic loads for design purposes. The uniformly distributed line load and the uniformly distributed and concentrated loads applicable. The balustrade load categories proposed here were introduced in BS6399 - 1996.
The history of its introduction is unknown to the author; however, it was possibly a reaction to the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster (UK) where 96 people died in conditions of overcrowding, following a collapse of a crowd barrier at an FA Cup semi. Staircase balustrades for a home staircase need to be designed to meet: a horizontal Uniformly Distributed Load of at least 0.36 kN/m on the handrail a horizontal Uniformly Distributed Load of at least 0.50 kN/m a horizontal Concentrated Load of at least 0.35 kN (all individual spindles must be able to resist at least half this load). Most building codes in the US distinguish between "handrails" (those rails used for support/stability when using stairs or steps) and "guardrails" (those rails used to prevent inadvertent falls for heights above about 2m).
For external applications, the rail must meet 0.89kN load applied at any point and in any direction along the top rail. HANDRAILS & BALUSTRADES Handrail and balustrade design is governed by the definition of key load bearing components and related spanning issues. White Metal - Balustrade & Railing Systems DEFENDER Load Table ** Extra Fixing Holes Drilled in base channel White Metal - Balustrade & Railing Systems.
The loads given in Table 4 should be treated as the unfactored loads or characteristic loads for design purposes. The UDL (uniform distributed line load) and the uniformly distributed and concentrated loads applicable to the infill pannel are not additive and should be considered as three separate loads. Extract from BS 6180.
Balustrade load testing Balustrade load testing is carried out to simulate live site conditions, giving practical and visual assurance of the safety of a balustrade. This testing is usually completed by independent test consultants under controlled conditions, resulting in the balustrade being certified to comply with the load requirements. Horizontal load requirements for balustrade Horizontal load capacity is one of the most important performance requirements to consider for balustrade and other structures intended to retain, stop or guide people.