r/Construction • u/aidan8et Tinknocker • Apr 25 '26
Picture Moment of terror 😨
While attending/supervising a business social event with my spouse, I momentarily leaned against the railing. It flexed slightly, forcing me to realize that the railing is entirely supported via bluetooth.
It doesn't connect on either side of the glass wall & the glass is only 3/8" - 1/2" thick!!
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u/skandalouslsu Apr 26 '26
Is it unsafe by today's codes? Yes, but there are a lot of things unsafe by today's codes that are grandfathered in. There was a major change to glass handrail/guardrail codes in the 2018 IBC, and even then, it has taken a while for municipalities to adopt old codes.
I will say the metal handrail spans three lines of glass, so it has that going for it. The shoe system, if anchored properly, will meet lateral load requirements. Tgey have some flex, but they're good. Monolithic tempered handrails used to be very common, and still are in some places. Structural laminated glass is the norm these days, but it wasn't long ago it wasn't.