Success in the Balance: Form and function with balanced doors When choosing a marquee entry door system, specifiers need to consider several criteria including traffic, the building’s wind and stack action pressure, accessibility, and obstructing pedestrian traffic. Balanced doors can address these criteria with fluid opening and closing, even when strong external wind pressures and internal stack pressures. Design, frame, and tempered glass options are also discussed. |
Understanding New Accessibility Requirements for Doors The 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design has several requirements that continue to surprise architects and specifiers. This article examines changes to door hardware operable force, use of low-energy automatic operators, protrusions into egress, and the need for proper maneuvering clearance. |
Impactable Dock Doors: Florida Building Code (FBC) 1715.5.3, “Exterior Door Assemblies”Exterior door assemblies not covered by Florida Building Code (FBC) 1715.5.2, “Exterior Windows, Siding, and Patio Glass,” or FBC 1715.5.3.1, “Exterior Door Assemblies,” shall be tested for structural integrity in accordance with Procedure A of ASTM E330, Standard Test Method for Structural Performance of Exterior Windows, Doors, Skylight,s and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference, at a load of 1.5 times the required design pressure load. The load shall be sustained for 10 seconds with no permanent deformation of any main frame or panel member in excess of 0.4 percent of its span after the load is removed. The design pressures, as determined from American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, are permitted to be multiplied by 0.6. High-velocity hurricane zones (HVHZ) must comply with Testing Application Standard (TAS) 202. After each specified loading, there must be no glass breakage, permanent damage to fasteners, hardware parts, or any other damage that causes the door to be inoperable. |
Security Glazing for Safer Schools: Trends in School SafetyParents and administrators across the country are clamoring for solutions to make their children’s schools more secure. Areas of K−12 educational projects under significant scrutiny are doors and windows—and, more specifically, the glass. For extra school security, laminated security glass can be an easy and cost-effective measure to assist in protecting against forced entry and providing bullet resistance. Between 1999 and 2009, various school security measures have been implemented. |
Security Glazing for Safer Schools Parents and administrators across the country are clamoring for solutions to make their children’s schools more secure. Areas of K−12 educational projects under significant scrutiny are doors and windows—and, more specifically, the glass. For extra school security, laminated security glass can be an easy and cost-effective measure to assist in protecting against forced entry and providing bullet resistance. |
Steeling for Success: More to metal doors than just the metal This article looks at the various types of steel doors, including options that protect against extreme weather, include glass for retailers and others, fight corrosion, made for healthcare locations and even blast doors. It also examines codes and standards, and how steel door industry associations are working to clear confusion for design professionals. |