I’m looking for manufacturers who have already tested glazed aluminum storefront, doors, and windows for human impact, typical to psychiatric and mental health facilities. We’re renovating an old state hospital building in small packages. No one project can afford custom testing.
Hi Lisa, we have done a number of psychiatric facilities, but we have avoided large expanses of glass. Generally we have used hollow metal doors and frames with polycarbonate and laminated security glazings. Our preferred glazing is:
D. Polycarbonate Glass: Abrasion-resistant polycarbonate, clear.
- Basis-of-Design Product: GE Structured Products, “LEXAN MR10-112”.
Make sure all door hardware is anti-ligature.
Good question, but I am not aware of any such testing for HM doors/frames. I do recommend using either SDI Extra-Heavy-Duty or Maximum-Duty doors and frames.
Also don’t forget to ask the client what products and materials they prefer (or forbid). Institutional clients like this usually have a good sense of what works for them and what doesn’t.
Thank you both, very helpful.
Something to keep in mind is that there are a lot of systems that have passed the Miami-Dade criteria for wind-borne debris. I don’t think a person’s physical body could apply any more force than a hurricane (however, I could be wrong).
Thanks Ken - that is helpful and quite detailed.
Lisa - also see this design guide: https://fb708656-5e29-4908-8b3f-76a7eb2f68c4.filesusr.com/ugd/038373_4d3f238d61f740858728472abfc90265.pdf
Not as detailed as the New York standard that Ken provided, but it provides some basic material advice and comparisons.
Check out an article from a number of years ago written for the Construction Specifier titled, “Specifying Windows for Behavioral Healthcare Projects,” https://www.constructionspecifier.com/specifying-windows-for-behavioral-healthcare-projects/. It talks about AAMA 501.8 that was developed as a testing standard for window systems subject to human impact like those used in psychiatric facilities. Searching for windows tested to AAMA 501.8 should be helpful in finding systems that have undergone testing.
Wausau has some systems that I’ve seen with this. I specified the 2187-DT SEAL window of theirs for a behavioral health project inboard of the curtainwall system. It also served to protect the motor-operated window shade systems from tampering which ended up between the SEAL window and the curtainwall.
http://www.wausauwindow.com/index.cfm?pid=43&pageTitle=Product-Search-Results&pa=4&pc=1. You may find it interesting given your project is a renovation and it may allow you to keep the existing windows in place.
They also have some resources near the bottom of the page here including a video of an AAMA 501.8 drop test for anyone curious to see what that looks like: http://www.wausauwindow.com/index.cfm?pid=34&pageTitle=Special-Performance
I also ran across Kawneer’s 1600UT System 1 curtain wall that has undergone human impact testing in the process of researching for that project (see page 23 here: https://www.kawneer.com/kawneer/adm_na/030_PRODUCT%20SELECTION/030_Product%20Selection%20Guide/030_Product%20Selection%20Guide.pdf). It ultimately wouldn’t have worked for our situation, but may for yours.
Good luck!
These are all helpful resources, thank you. I’m sending this link to the Architect.
The Owner would like to standardize around Wausau, but the storefront and door thing has been an issue.
Seems logical that hurricane resistance would equal human impact resistance, except that it’s typically testing in the opposite direction.
Hmm…
It would seem logical perhaps that hurricane resistance would equal human impact resistance, but I wouldn’t recommend making that assumption. The testing methods are different with different goals. The large and small missile impact testing for hurricane resistance, for example, may not care if pieces of the window fall off as long as the system functions to keep the missile from penetrating the system. However with human impact testing, the testing standard very much cares if pieces fall off as those could pose a risk to occupants. This is aside from the size of impacting body and forces imparted onto the systems being entirely different.
Better to stick to the testing that was developed for each.
For doors and possibly storefront, if you’re not finding anything being tested to the AAMA 501.8 standard, you might look into testing for forced entry resistance, or even just security door assemblies you might more typically find in detention facilities. Again, I’d caution making direct comparisons to human impact testing (I know a lot of the forced entry testing methods allow use of tools that the occupants in this case wouldn’t have). That said, it may suffice for your client’s purposes.