These days the security afforded by attack-resistant glazing is highly sought after, both for private dwellings and for shops, premises and stores. Made from laminated glass, the effectiveness of attack-resistant glazing will depend on the number of PVB films inserted between the two sheets of floatglass. Find out what we can do below.
Standards
Attack-resistant glazing is made from laminated glass. The laminated glass procedure was invented by Edouard Bénédictus who dropped a flask of cellulose nitrate which didn’t break. The patent was filed in 1909 and, two years later, Edouard Bénédictus established la Société du Verre Triplex. In France,vitrage retardateur d’effraction attack-resistant glazing must meet the NF EN 356 standard, which classifies the resistance of each piece of glazing after various resistance tests using steel beads, blows with a hammer and axe etc. (reminiscent of Elon Musk’s demonstration on the windows of his Cybertruck). They are classified in two levels, divided into 8 performance classes.
- Level 1 includes 5 classes against vandalism, from P1A to P5A, defined as a spontaneous and improvised malicious act.
- Level 2, from P6B to P8B is against attempts at intrusion (intrusion being a premeditated and planned act).
In terms of anti-vandalism, classifications are approved using testing involving dropping steel beads weighing 4.11 kg onto laminated glazing. The classifications are distinguished by the number of beads dropped and the height of the fall. 3 beads dropped from a height of 1.5 metres in the case of the P1A whilst the P5A is approved by dropping 9 beads from a heigh of 9 metres (the tests are approved if the beads fail to penetrate the glazing). Attack resistance is approved with tests using an axe and a mallet. The objective of the tests is to assess the number of blows the glazing can receive before a 40*40 cm opening appears, known as a “manhole”. In this test, the P6B is approved with 30 blows, the P7B 41 blows and the P8B with 71 blows. Glass that protects against gun fire, bullet-resistant glass, is covered by European standard EN 1063 which defines the classification of glazing according to their resistance to gun fire. This classification is in addition to a splitting (S) or non-splitting (NS) rating. Under EN 1063 there are 9 performance classes according to the munitions used and test conditions. Glazing that protects against fire-arms is also classified under standard EN 356.
The VIT Range of attack-resistant glazing
The long-term performance and resistance of attack-resistant glazing depend on the number of PVB films interlayered between two sheets of glass. You will find this information under the reference “66-8” meaning, in this example, two 6 mm sheets of float glass and 8 interlayered films.
It is also possible to combine this type of glazing with thermal, soundproof, phonic or solar performance as well as the self-cleaning function…Whatever your client’s project, we can provide a customised, bespoke solution! Our advice: if you have double glazing, we strongly recommend fitting the attack resistance on the inside in order to maintain optimal resistance in the event of an intrusion, for two reasons:
- The noise of the first glazing being broken can raise the alert
- If placed on the inside, the attack-resistance glazing films will be preserved thanks to the room temperature. If they are on the outside, the films will be subject to temperature variations and will be a lot less resistant, becoming more plastic.
VIT support throughout your projects
VIT can supply you with the best attack-resistant glazing. Thanks to the size of our stock we can offer you a fast, bespoke response. The technical team in our design office is on-hand to support you throughout your project and study its feasibility. We will be able to propose the best solution to suit the expectations and requirements of your clients, from simple attack-resistant glazing, to bespoke glazing combining a number of characteristics (thermal insulation, solar control etc.) and taking into account your size constraints.
Our latest creations
Jewellers, villas, banks, insurance firms, tobacconists… many professionals opt to fit attack-resistant glazing so as to meet regulatory requirements and ensure their security.
Our latest creation was for a studio in Montereau-Fault-Yonne, for the famous luxury leatherware brand, Hermès. We fitted part of the building with VIT PR15 66-8 glazing, i.e. 2 sheets of glass measuring 6 mm and 8 films.
