CAN/CSA-A440-00/A440.1-00 (R2005)

A440-00 Windows 1. Scope 1.1 This Standard applies to both fixed and operable windows that are factoryand intended for vertical installation in buildings. 1.2 This Standard applies to both fixed and operable windows installed in prime doors and to door transoms and door sidelites. 1.3 This Standard applies to combination and composite windows as limited by Clause 10.1.4. Mullions are tested for structural adequacy, and unless a combination or composite window has been tested as an assembly, air and water tightness at the component interface are not evaluated. 1.4 The following were not considered in the preparation of this Standard: (a)storefronts; (b)nonoperable portions of curtain walls; (c)fixed glazing cast into precast concrete panels; (d)greenhouses; (e)doors; (f)skylights; and (g)sloped glazing. A440.1-00 User Selection Guide to CSA Standard A440-00, Windows 1. Scope Classifications and Test Requirements Classification levels and test requirements provided by CSA Standard A440 and this Guide allow purchasers and specifiers to select windows suitable to their specific climatic conditions, height of installation, type of building, etc. The authority having jurisdiction assigns the minimum levels to be met. All other classifications and test requirements exceeding those specified by the authority having jurisdiction are considered optional. Climatic Selection Design data are included in Appendix C of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC), which lists 640 selected locations in Canada. A specifier should reference the NBCC to ensure that historic climatic data support the selection and to provide the user, regardless of location, with the same minimum level of performance. NBCC data are reprinted in part as Table UG of this Guide. Occupancy Classification The NBCC specifies two distinct building categories. The first category, small buildings, is covered in Part 9 of the NBCC. Small buildings are defined as buildings of three storeys or less in building height that have a building area not exceeding 600 m2, and that are used for residential occupancies, business and personal service occupancies, mercantile occupancies, and medium- and low-hazard industrial occupancies. The user is encouraged to refer to Section 9.7 of the NBCC or the applicable Building Code for requirements that apply to windows in these buildings. All other buildings are covered in Parts 3#8 of the NBCC and are defined as all buildings used for assembly occupancies, care or detention occupancies, and high-hazard industrial occupancies, as well as all buildings exceeding 600 m2 in building area or exceeding three storeys in building height that are used for residential occupancies, business and personal service occupancies, mercantile occupancies, and medium- and low-hazard industrial occupancies. In this Guide, buildings falling in this category are referred to as other buildings. Building Height and Shape All wind speeds are reported at a height of 10 m. Buildings of heights greater than 10 m will be subject to greater wind speeds. The shape of a building creates pressure coefficients that may increase or decrease pressures on the building. Loads on Windows Wind speeds are normally reported at flat open locations. Wind velocity in any area varies with terrain conditions, from centres of large cities to country, and from rough hilly terrain to open flat grassland and coastal areas. Table UG-1 in this Guide is a simplified, quick guide for isolating the appropriate performance range for water leakage, wind load resistance, and condensation resistance. The levels suggested are minimum levels for basic buildings. As windows are considered cladding, the user is encouraged to refer to Part 4 of the NBCC, which covers design of building cladding. Part 4 of the NBCC also requires that wind test pressures be increased by coefficients that reflect the influence of building height, building shape, and gusting. Other Information This Guide also assists specifiers and manufacturers by offering commentary and background related to CSA Standard A440. It requires the user to make several choices from among optional requirements in order to select an appropriate product and level of performance that reflects the needs of the building. Performance levels recommended in the charts do not guarantee against product failure. Calculations are based on minimum requirements and include a designed potential of recurrence of failure. A short-form checklist of the decisions a specifier must make in order to use this Guide correctly follows in Appendix UG-A.