Standards Development

Scope

The scope to be extended to include new methods of welding and mechanical jointing of corners to reflect current market trends.

This British Standard specifies requirements for the design, fabrication and performance of windows and glazed doorsets made from PVC-U extruded hollow profiles.

This British Standard applies to windows and doorsets manufactured from PVC-U hollow profiles incorporating fusion welded corner joints, mechanically jointed corners and hybrid joints.

It applies to windows and doors fabricated into frames in a factory, to be installed vertically (within 15°) into the external face of buildings, as single or multi-light units, in coupled assemblies when appropriate, of the following types:

a) windows:

1) hinged: side-hung (open in or out), top-hung (open out), bottom-hung (open in), tilt and turn or turn before tilt;

2) projecting: side-hung (open in or open out) and top-hung (open out or reversible);

3) pivoted: horizontal and vertical (hung centrally or off-centre) including reversible;

4) sliding: horizontal and vertical;

5) side-hung: fully reversible;

6) fixed light;

b) doors:

1) single leaf single-swing doors with or without side lights and top panels;

2) double leaf single-swing doors with or without side lights and top panels. It is applicable to assemblies in which any frame member is not longer than 3 m. It does not apply to curtain walls that span across horizontal structural members of floors but is applicable to windows within a curtain walling system.

It is applicable to assemblies up to the point of installation.

Purpose

At the present time, there are no methods of test and requirements for mechanically joined corners or for any hybrid joints (partially welded with a mechanical element in the joint).

Key drivers, i.e. safety, new legislation and/or standards (will it provide support for the implementation of existing standards)

The fabrication techniques used for PVC-U windows have developed since the 2007 publication of BS 7412. As they are out of the scope of the current standard, BS 7412 cannot be used to specify them and they cannot be included in Kitemark or other third party certification schemes.