Will the new GOST change the window market?

In November came into force GOST 23166-2021 "Window and balcony translucent fencing structures. General technical conditions ". Manufacturers of window profiles and fittings at a scientific and practical conference discussed innovations and talked about what else needs to be changed in the regulatory framework in order for them to work.

The new GOST was approved by the order of Rosstandart dated May 19, 2021 and came into effect on November 1. Its authors intend to conduct a number of explanatory events in order to answer questions regarding this document. However, many problems have already been revealed that go far beyond its scope. They affect technical regulation in general.

Quality and safety

According to Andrey Taranushich, General Director of VEKA Rus, the developers, first of all, wanted to clarify some controversial issues, because today builders evaluate windows according to various parameters, and each one has his own. “We, as manufacturers, are sometimes ashamed to look consumers in the eye, because you cannot explain why, having all the possibilities, we cannot ensure the safety, quality and reliability of windows,” he stressed.

Photo: VEKA. Andrey Taranushich, CEO of VEKA Rus

One of the reasons for this situation is the gap between the current regulations and the realities of the window market, and above all, the actively developing construction of multi-storey housing stock. Until recently, the main criterion for the choice of windows by developers was their cost, and the performance characteristics were of interest only to tenants who massively applied after the delivery of the house to various authorities, including the courts. The new GOST is the first step to start changing this situation.

VEKA Rus together with market colleagues are working on other standards. The next reform was GOST 30674 "Window and balcony structures made of PVC profiles", as well as a similar standard for windows made of aluminum profiles. At the same time, it is planned to update the standard for fittings, taking into account new technologies and application practices, and also a standard will be developed for the methodology for determining the tightness of window structures, taking into account the European experience of testing. These standards will allow you to detail the conceptual requirements of the base document.

The second reason for updating GOST is the need to ensure the safety of children. Due to the fact that the windows in the apartment are not protected by anything, the number of children falling out of them is growing from year to year. According to statistics, 1,339 children fell out in Russia in 2020, 145 of them died.

“We consider the entry into force of GOST, which was developed taking into account child safety, to be a great achievement. However, this is not enough, - said Olga Yaroslavskaya, head of the department for the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of minors, ombudsman for the rights of the child in Moscow. “It is necessary to make changes to the regulatory framework, which would oblige to install windows equipped with protective devices not only for new construction of housing and social institutions, but also for major repairs and construction of objects of any purpose”.

What changed?

Andrey Okulov, head of the technical department of VEKA Rus, spoke about the main changes in the new GOST. According to him, for the first time in the standard there was a division of window blocks into main ones, which are installed in residential premises, and special ones for auxiliary premises (stairs, basements, etc.). The balcony glazing stands out separately.

Photo: VEKA. Andrey Okulov, head of the technical department of VEKA Rus

The new document introduces the definition of the system passport. It contains both information about the features of the profile systems that make up the structures, and the operational characteristics of the window and door structures themselves. The document is advisory in nature, it will contain test reports.

In GOST, window and balcony blocks are classified by functional purpose, materials of profile elements, type of translucent filling, type of construction, number and location of sealing contours in the vestibules, constructive solution of the vestibules of the sash and operational characteristics.

A fundamental change was received in the classification according to the resistance to wind load: the value of wind pressure and the limiting relative deflection of the load-bearing elements of the products. If earlier the maximum value of wind pressure was 1,000 Pa, now it is 2,000 Pa. There are three classes of wind load resistance. The main window blocks can be designed for a deflection of 1/200, blocks in auxiliary rooms - 1/150. If we talk about special protective structures, the deflection there should be no more than 1/300. In addition, the main window structures must provide an air permeability class of at least B (3 m3 / hm2 or 0.75 m3 / hm), the water permeability class must not be lower than 450 Pa, sound insulation must not be lower than 19-21 dBA.

In addition, the requirements of SP 50 for the reduced resistance to heat transfer, which is calculated in accordance with the GSPC and the minimum temperature of a five-day period with a security of 0.92, must be met. According to the reliability requirements, the main blocks must provide more than 20 thousand opening and closing cycles, blocks in auxiliary rooms - more than 5 thousand, balcony glazing - more than 10 thousand.

Window and door blocks must comply with the requirements of GOST, standards for specific types of products, reference samples and must be manufactured according to design and technological documentation. There was also a recommendation to mark the product with a machine-readable label.

The standard spelled out the requirements for operational safety. If the windows do not open onto the balcony, are not located on the first floor, then the width of the fixed glazing should not exceed 400 mm on the sides, and in the central part - 800 mm. Windows of the first and last floors and above the canopies must be designed and manufactured in anti-burglary (protective) configuration in accordance with GOST 31462. Windows with a window sill height of less than 800 mm and a blind bottom transom must be equipped with a horizontal impost at a height of 1200 mm, which performs a protective function. French balcony constructions should be equipped with protective screens that can be mounted both in the window opening from the outside and on the frame. It is planned to release a new standard for protective screens fixed to window structures.

A definition of a child safety lock appeared in the document - a product that does not allow a child to open a swing door without the participation of an adult. Child safety elements and anti-burglar fittings can complement each other.

Obstacles on the way

The head of the Windows and Doors PC of the Technical Committee 465 Construction, Tatyana Vlasova, spoke about the difficulties the GOST developers faced. According to her, over the past 20 years, construction science has developed few innovations in relation to the window, and insufficient attention is paid to window and balcony structures in the regulatory documents.

“We are faced with the fact that in JV 20 Loads and Impacts, in principle, there is nothing about windows,” she said. - In SP 50 "Thermal protection of buildings" the wording "Translucent enclosing structures" was recently published. But glazed facades, glazed balconies, and window blocks are also suitable for this line. In many respects, therefore, some questions are spelled out in the GOST in general terms, because we have not found anything that would make them specific. "

Tatiana Vlasova believes that developers cannot solve many problems without the participation of the scientific community. Today VEKA concludes agreements with MGSU so that the window community will carry out the necessary experimental and scientific work. “If there is a scientific substantiation in the form of calculation methods or test methods, we will be able to register it in GOST. We tried to include this work in the R&D program in TC 465, but they do not take us seriously there, ”the specialist said.

You can also supplement the standards with specific data by revising GOSTs for specific types of windows. These issues include the durability of window units, changes in the characteristics of a window unit during operation at different temperature conditions.

“In the plan for 2022, we plan to start work on a joint venture for windows, and for this we need to carry out a lot of preparatory work, because we do not have a single regulatory document for the constituent parts of the window,” Tatyana Vlasova emphasized. - We do not know which window sill is better, how to properly insulate the slope, and all this affects the heat transfer resistance of the window. We included in the plan the development of a standard for slopes and window sills, requirements for balcony glazing. "

She also noted that it is necessary to change the approaches to the installation of windows not only in new housing, but also in the existing housing stock. It is necessary to write an appeal to the management companies so that they can post information on the notice boards of their houses explaining the innovations and how to apply them.

Separately, Tatyana Vlasova dwelled on the need to change the attitude towards the installation of windows and doors in schools. “There are windows that cannot be controlled, they are more dangerous than in MKD,” the expert says. - Escape routes are locked. In the event of an emergency, all children will remain at the door. " According to her, GOST has been developed "Protective window and door blocks for children's educational organizations", but TC 465 has not been able to approve it for three years already.

Be that as it may, the approved GOST is not a static document. During the year, the developers of the standard must collect all comments from designers and builders, classify them, discuss and amend the document, if necessary.

Need "your" set of rules

The topic of the actual lack of a regulatory framework for windows was picked up by Alexander Konstantinov, an associate professor at the NRU MGSU, an expert PC 24 TK 465. According to him, the main thing that builders must ensure during the construction of housing is the fulfillment of the norms of FZ-384 "Technical Regulations on Building Safety", which are contained in the sets of rules included in the mandatory list. But none of the window GOSTs are included there. This means that the requirements of the new standard are not mandatory during construction, but will only apply when they are included in a specific building construction project.

“The requirements for the technical and operational characteristics of windows presented in the joint venture often do not correspond to the current level of development of the window industry,” the expert emphasized. - For example, the requirements for air permeability have not changed for 40-50 years. Some parameters are not presented in any document at all, for example, water permeability. It turns out that there are no complex requirements for a window in construction. This is used by unscrupulous manufacturers. "

In his opinion, a joint venture is needed for the design of window structures, which would contain an exhaustive set of requirements and criteria for calculating window structures for buildings of various purposes. It should contain requirements for each technical and operational characteristic, for ensuring safe operation, scientifically grounded values of loads and effects on windows, engineering calculation methods or laboratory methods for determining the actual value of each characteristic. It is also necessary to ensure the correct relationship with the existing joint ventures.

Many issues will require additional scientific justification: loads and effects on windows, criteria and methods for determining technical and operational characteristics. For example, the requirements for wind load in SP 20 "Loads and Impacts", according to the scientist, are spelled out incorrectly. The second important issue that needs to be worked out is temperature deformations, which lead to a decrease in the resistance to heat transfer of windows, an increase in air permeability, a decrease in sound insulation and a malfunction of the fittings. A detailed justification is required by the issue related to heat exchange in especially problematic zones of the window sill, slope. Now many parameters have been transferred from the calculations of other enclosing structures, but they do not take into account the specifics of the window.

“We need research. Science has the potential to do this. With the appropriate support from the window industry, we can create a normal document that will create uniform rules of the game, ”summed up Alexander Konstantinov.

Based on the results of the discussion, the conference participants drew up a resulting document, which was sent to the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation and to the relevant committee of the State Duma.

Opinions

Alexander Moor, Head of the All-Russian Center for National Building Policy

- “It's good that there are people in the construction industry who analyze the current state of affairs and try to solve specific problems. They raise questions not only in terms of earnings, but also in terms of practical implementation, increasing their own responsibility. the minimum threshold for quality, an adequate professional community is obliged to support them. This work needs to be carried out, and we always get involved in it. "

Olga Ogorodnikova, member of the Supervisory Board of the Aluminum Association

- "The change in GOST in the changing reality is the market and consumer requirements for durability, quality, heating technology, safety and functionality. A window, like no other structure, has evolved over 20 years to the level of a multifunctional complex system. The share of aluminum windows on the market is 17%. This is a significant indicator, so we cannot take a passive position in the market. We support changes, first of all, from the point of view of consumers, in order to protect their interests. It is simply impossible to update a regulatory document every 20 years with such a dynamic environment. "

Source: https://rcmm.ru/