The European standard EN 356 defines the resistance of glass to manual attack, such as during a burglary, vandalism, or forced entry.
It classifies the level of protection offered by different types of glass, ranging from P1A to P8B, with P1A being the lowest level of resistance and P8B being the highest. Classification is based on the number of impacts, energy level and the type of tools used during the attack.
Glass in classes P6B to P8B offer the highest levels of protection. They are considered the most effective solutions for protection against forced entry, even against the use of heavy tools such as hammers, chisels or axes. Glass with these classifications provides a high level of resistance against multiple impacts and is designed to withstand prolonged attacks.
The European standard EN 1627 sets the resistance of windows, doors and curtain walling systems to manual attack. In addition to the type of tools used during the attack, this standard introduces the notion of resistance duration of the system. The resistance classes range from RC1, the lowest level within the classification, to RC6, the highest level.
In order to demonstrate a given resistance class a complete mock-up including glass and the framing or door systems should be tested.
