Guards and Railings
Summary
Guards keep people from falling at open edges and handrails give grip along stairs and ramps, built from steel, aluminum, stainless steel, wood, or glass. They are structural elements with load, opening, height, and graspability limits set by code, so coordinate posts, anchorage, and infill with the structure and the parent code reference.
Cols
Terminology
- Guard: barrier at an open side of a floor, stair, ramp, or balcony
- Handrail: graspable rail along a stair or ramp
- Baluster (picket): vertical infill member
- Post: vertical support anchored to the structure
- Top rail and bottom rail: horizontal members that frame the infill
- Infill: balusters, cables, panels, or glass between rails
- Structural glass baluster: glass panel that carries guard loads without a top rail
Standards
Glass guards
- Glass in guards is laminated fully tempered or heat-strengthened glass, Category II or ANSI Z97.1 Class A, at least 1/4 in. thick
- Structural glass balusters without a top rail are tested to ASTM E2353
Related standards
Materials
- Steel and stainless steel: posts, rails, balusters, cable, and welded frames
- Aluminum: extruded posts, rails, and infill
- Wood: posts, rails, and balusters indoors and on decks
- Laminated glass: infill and structural balusters
Detailing
- Anchor posts to structure sized for the guard loads in the code
- Keep infill openings within the limit the code sets for children
- Keep handrails graspable and continuous, with the clearance the code requires
- Check that leading edges and handrail projections stay within circulation limits
- Use laminated glass in guards so a broken pane keeps its protection
Uses
Specific uses
- Interior and exterior stairs
- Balconies, decks, and roof terraces
- Mezzanines and atrium edges
- Ramps and accessible routes
Pros and cons
Pros
- Protects openings and gives hand support
- Many materials and looks
- Glass keeps views open
Cons
- Structural anchorage is critical
- Infill and height limits constrain design
- Glass needs laminated, tested systems
Manufacturing and cost
Construction
- Rails and posts are fabricated from metal, wood, or glass, anchored to the structure, and filled with balusters, cable, or panels
Main manufacturers and suppliers
Trade association: National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers.
Sources
- UpCodes: 2024 IBC Chapter 24 glass and glazing (Department of Defense adoption), https://up.codes/viewer/department-of-defense/ibc-2024/chapter/24/glass-and-glazing
- UpCodes: 2024 IBC Chapter 10 means of egress (Department of Defense adoption), https://up.codes/viewer/department-of-defense/ibc-2024/chapter/10/means-of-egress