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Blumcraft railglass is a structural glass balustrade system that can be provided fully factory fabricated and glazed with tempered glass. The base components are manufactured from aluminum and furnished factory drilled and tapped. Standard mounting bolts are provided. A variety of top rails and handrails are available. Blumcraft recommends consulting with local code officials for load and rail requirements. Refer to structural load capabilities for glass panel sizes. Contact Blumcraft for information regarding glass panel sizing and base mounting bolt requirements.
Advantages of a Two Piece Mounting Base System Compared to a One Piece Mounting Base System
A two piece mounting base isolates glass panels against the shock of building movement. With a one piece mounting base, field glazed panels cannot be isolated.
A two piece mounting base permits easy glass panel replacement by means of bolts. A one piece mounting base requires chipping out the embedded glass at the building site.
Factory controlled bonding of glass with two piece mounting base permits installation of panels in any kind of weather and temperature. With a one piece mounting base, bonding at the building site is done with the risk of uncontrolled temperature, moisture and interference from other trade personnel.
Railglass top rails are available in aluminum, stainless steel and railwood. The top rail mounts to the top edge of the glass panels using Blumcraft ST-300 System. Auxiliary handrails are also available in aluminum, stainless steel and railwood. The handrail mounts using WBNC glass mounting brackets (stainless steel) or WBN glass brackets (aluminum). Contact factory for mounting bracket placement recommendations. Matching wall brackets are available.
Blumcraft aluminum components are available in Satin Finished Clear Anodized, Bronze Duranodic Shades or Black. Blumcraft anodized finishes are produced in our own factory and exceed the industry standard.
Railwood components are manufactured with aluminum sub-rails for stability and serviceability. Railwood top rails and handrails can be factory finished and are available in a variety of wood species including walnut, white oak, maple, cherry, and mahogany.
Before sending preliminary sketches to Blumcraft, please refer to complete catalogs in Sweets:
Tempered Glass Doors - 08 41 00 / BLU
Architectural Hardware - 08 71 00 / BLU
Display Case Doors - 12 35 59 / BLU
Railing Systems - 05 73 00 / BLU
Railing sub-contractor shall furnish "Railglass" (two piece mounting base system) complete where indicated on drawings. Part numbers refer to components furnished by Blumcraft of Pittsburgh, 460 Melwood Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, and shall be as illustrated in their current catalogue and as published in Sweets Architectural File.
Glass — Shall be 1/2" or 3/4" thick tempered safety glass meeting the requirements of ANSI Standard Z97.1 for safety glazing materials and Consumer Product Safety Commission Standard 16 CFR 1201 Categories 1 and 2.
Structural Load Capabilities — Blumcraft glass railings are constructed to meet all typical code requirements. For rail heights of 3'-6" and less, if code specifies:
| Distributed Load |
Concentrated Load |
Glass |
Minimum Length of Rail |
| 50plf |
200# |
1/2" |
4'-0" |
| 100plf |
300# |
3/4" |
2'-6" |
These loads satisfy UBC, BOCA, and OSHA codes. For shorter rail lengths or higher rails, send preliminary sketches to Blumcraft’s engineering staff for review.
Physical Test Report — of tempered glass railing prepared by an independent testing laboratory shall be furnished to architect showing compliance with the above requirements.
Aluminum Mounting Base Assembly —shall be a two piece system with one member permanently installed to the building structure ready to receive the other member that has been bonded to the glass. All shall be rigidly anchored to floor or stairs in a positive manner including sufficient reinforcement and anchoring as required.
Aluminum Handrails and Mounting Base — shall be U.S. Alloy 6063 Satin Finish, Clear Anodized, Duranodic Medium Bronze, Dark Bronze, or Black.
Wood Handrail — Wood shall be bonded to aluminum sub-structure forming a complete handrail unit. Specify wood type and aluminum finish.
Replacement of Glass Panels — Glass panels shall be made removable for replacement without chipping out the embedded glass at the building site.
Installation — Shall be rigid and secure, installed by mechanics experienced in erection of architectural metal and glass. All screws and fittings shall be drawn up tightly. Rails shall be set plumb and aligned. Railing sub-contractor who makes the installation shall be fully responsible for the rigidity, the workmanship, and the finished appearance of the installation and shall comply with Blumcraft instruction sheets.
Shop Drawings — The railing sub-contractor shall forward shop drawings to Blumcraft for manufacturer's recommendations prior to submission of Blumcraft’s drawings for architect’s approval.
Note to Architect — As the rigidity of the railglass without posts is dependent on the method of mounting the aluminum base to the building sub-structure, it is suggested that the architect’s preliminary drawings be reviewed by Blumcraft’s technical staff.
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