Side fixing balustrade

Side-fixed balustrades anchor glass into the stair stringer or slab edge so the walking side stays free of posts. Embed depth, bolt pattern and edge distances follow the structural engineer’s allowable bearing stresses; the glass itself is usually a deep laminated toughened panel with holes or rebates coordinated to a metal shoe.

They are specified where clear stair width is tight or where the architect wants an uninterrupted stringer line on the walking face. Acoustic performance is limited to the single lite, so a separate acoustic screen is added inboard only when the brief demands it.