The Standards and regulations governing the use of glass in buildings are numerous and often complicated. It may be necessary to consult more than one document in order to fully understand the requirements. This section highlights some of the regulations and standards which are commonly encountered when working with glass in buildings.
Building Regulations are the result, historically, of the need for some form of building control legislation to ensure the health and safety of the inhabitants of buildings. They define how a new building or alteration is to be built so that it is structurally safe, protected from risk of fire, energy efficient and has adequate ventilation for its purpose.
Since their introduction in the1960s, the need to incorporate advances in materials and technology have meant that the regulations have been revised and amended several times. We now have a set of regulations support by Approved Documents. These are publications that give practical guidance on meeting the requirements of the Building Regulations.
Building Regulations now have three purposes:
1. To ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings.
2. The conservation of energy.
3. Access and facilities for disabled people.
