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IS 2553:1990 Part 3 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for safety glass - part 3: toughened safety glass. This standard specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and testing for toughened safety glass used for general and architectural purposes, including doors, windows, and building facades. It defines acceptable dimensional tolerances, optical quality, impact resistance (shock test), and safety characteristics upon breakage (fragmentation test).
Specifies requirements for toughened safety glass for use in buildings.
BIM-relevant code. See the BIM Hub for ISO 19650, IFC, and LOD/LOIN frameworks used alongside it.
Practical Notes
! Toughened glass cannot be cut, drilled, or edge-worked after the tempering process. All such modifications must be completed prior to heat treatment.
! A key quality indicator is the fragmentation test; proper toughened glass must shatter into small, relatively blunt fragments rather than large, sharp shards to prevent severe injury.
! Bowing or warping is a natural byproduct of the toughening process; ensure the deformation falls within the acceptable limits specified in the code.
American National Standard for Safety Glazing Materials Used in Buildings - Safety Performance Specifications and Methods of Test
Specifies safety performance requirements and test methods for glazing used in buildings, focusing on human impact.
EN 12600:2002CEN (European Union)
HighCurrent
Glass in building - Pendulum test - Impact test method and classification for flat glass
Provides the primary human impact test method (pendulum) used to classify safety glass throughout Europe.
AS/NZS 2208:1996SA/SNZ (Australia/New Zealand)
HighCurrent
Safety glazing materials in buildings
Covers safety requirements for glazing materials for use in buildings, including impact performance.
BS 6206:1981BSI (UK)
MediumWithdrawn
Specification for impact performance requirements for flat safety glass and safety plastics for use in buildings
A foundational impact performance standard whose classification system likely influenced IS 2553.
Key Differences
≠IS 2553 uses a 45 kg leather shot-bag for its primary impact test, whereas the prevalent European standard (EN 12600) uses a 50 kg twin-tyre impactor, resulting in different impact dynamics and surface interaction.
≠The safety classification in IS 2553 (Categories I, II, III) is based solely on impact drop height. Modern standards like EN 12600 provide a more detailed classification that also includes the mode of breakage (e.g., numerous cracks with particles held, or dicing into small pieces).
≠IS 2553:1990 is a single document for general requirements, while modern international standards are often multi-part series, such as EN 12150 for toughened glass and EN 14449 for laminated glass, allowing for more specific and detailed requirements for each product type.
≠The fragmentation test for toughened glass in IS 2553 specifies a single minimum particle count (40 particles in 50x50mm), while standards like EN 12150-1 specify varying particle counts based on the nominal thickness of the glass.
Key Similarities
≈All standards have the fundamental objective of minimizing cutting and piercing injuries to persons by specifying performance criteria for glass under human impact.
≈Both IS 2553 and its international counterparts use a simulated human impact test involving a weighted bag/impactor swung from specified drop heights to classify safety performance.
≈The 'Boil Test' (immersing laminated glass in boiling water for 2 hours) is a common method specified in both IS 2553 and international standards (like ISO 12543-4) to assess the durability and adhesion of the interlayer.
≈All standards recognize the safe-breakage characteristic of thermally toughened glass, defining it by its fragmentation into numerous small, relatively blunt particles and setting limits on particle size and count.
No, any cutting, drilling, or grinding must be done before the toughening process. Attempting to cut it will cause the glass to shatter.
What is the purpose of the fragmentation test?+
To ensure that upon breakage, the glass fractures into numerous small, relatively harmless pieces (minimum 40 pieces in a 50x50mm area) rather than dangerous sharp shards.
How is the shock test conducted?+
A 227g steel ball is dropped from a specified height onto the glass specimen to verify its impact resistance.