New safety glass codes in China and India

Effective 1 January 2004, a nationwide regulation regarding the compulsory use of safety glass was implemented by the National Development and Reform Commission, People’s Republic of China (the former National Economy and Trade Management Commission). Now all cities in China must abide by this architectural safety glass code, known as Architectural Safety Glass Management Regulation. The new code specifies precisely where safety glass must be used in buildings, and when the glass must be laminated rather than tempered.

Architects wanting information on the use of laminated glass in overhead glazing in China can now refer to Code JGJ 113. For façade / curtain wall glazing they can refer to Code JGJ102.

It should be underlined that the Chinese provinces of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong - a total of 38 million people - have already had legislation in place regarding the use of architectural safety glass for some years. Shanghai was the first to adopt such legislation, in 1997. Now however, practically all of China’s 1.3 billion people will be protected by national regulations regarding the use of safety glass in buildings. In Europe, like in Australia, over half of the ‘safety glass’ used in new construction is laminated glass.

Until 2003, India’s regulations on safety glass only applied to the automotive industry, not to architectural projects. However, in March 2003 the Housing and Urban Development Ministry of the State of Maharashtra was the first to legislate the use of safety glass in buildings. This legislation applies to all residential and commercial buildings and to factories.

The legislation followed the issue of Code number 3189 of the ‘Building and Structural Safety Norms’ of the Indian Government’s national ‘Building Material Code’ in the same month. Following this 2003 amendment to the Indian Government’s National Building Code, it is expected that other Indian states will soon pass legislation requiring the use of safety glass in buildings similar to that in the State of Maharashtra.