U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

TRANSPARENT SECURITY

NCJ Number
143843
Journal
Essecome International Volume: 3 Issue: 6 Dated: (November 1992) Pages: 7-11
Author(s)
A Sandrolini
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Laminated security glass allows architects and building planners to combine security needs with the need for light, space, and airiness which are typical of modern architecture. The technologies of the materials used, of which glass is only one component, have improved considerably in recent years.
Abstract
A few years ago, Italy published a set of standards classifying layered glass into three categories: shatter- proof, crime-proof, and bullet-proof. Given the variety of forms of attack, each class of glass had its own level of resistance, based on the number of strikes that can be supported before the glass breaks or the type of bullets and weapons it can withstand. Great Britain and Germany have similar standards for glass; the British regulations consider the entire structure consisting of the armored glass and the frame surrounding it, while Germany has paid more attention to the resistance of the stratified materials to attacks by unusual means. Banks have been among the first customers to install transparent armored partitions; other clients include museums and stores, which use the glass to display their exhibits and wares as well as protect them. In VIP vehicles, transparent layered materials are based on polycarbonate rather than glass in order to adhere to necessary weight restrictions.