BS 8579:2020
$198.66
Guide to the design of balconies and terraces
| Published By | Publication Date | Number of Pages |
| BSI | 2020 | 56 |
This British Standard gives guidance on the design of balconies and terraces and their component parts.
Balconies and terraces covered within this British Standard can be at any height above lowest ground level, unless stated otherwise.
This British Standard defines Juliet guardings but covers their guarding elements only.
Certain aspects of this British Standard are not applicable to walkways, roofs, pedestrian surfaces and balconies intended for access only for maintenance. These include enclosure of balconies, arrangement of balconies, wind effects, inclusive design, safety (other standards apply), ventilation outlets and acoustic design. This British Standard is not specifically intended to cover internal balconies, such as within a building atrium or covered courtyard, but relevant guidance herein can be used in the absence of guidance specific to such balconies.
Asset protection other than service life is not included within the scope of this British Standard.
Raised timber structures on support posts built into the ground and serving ground floor accommodation are considered raised pedestrian surfaces and outside the scope of this British Standard.
PDF Catalog
| PDF Pages | PDF Title |
|---|---|
| 5 | Foreword |
| 7 | Introduction 1 Scope 2 Normative references |
| 8 | 3 Terms and definitions |
| 12 | Figure 1 — Balconies and terraces |
| 13 | 4 General principles 4.1 General 4.2 Relationship of balconies to the building 5 Enclosure of balconies and small terraces 5.1 General |
| 14 | Figure 2 — Basic principles of an enclosed balcony/terrace |
| 15 | 5.2 Daylight, thermal, ventilation and acoustic considerations |
| 16 | 5.3 Drainage considerations 5.4 Fire considerations 5.5 Finishes and equipment |
| 17 | 6 Arrangement of balconies 6.1 Proximity and organization of multiple balconies 6.2 Level above ground 6.3 Privacy 7 Wind effects 7.1 General |
| 18 | Figure 3 — Wind accelerating as it is funnelled between adjacent buildings 7.2 Wind mitigation measures |
| 19 | Figure 4 — Examples of wind mitigation measures |
| 20 | Figure 5 — Upper bound pressure coefficients for rectangular buildings up to 50 m height 8 Service life of balconies with a floor level greater than 2.4 m above ground level |
| 21 | 9 Inclusive design 9.1 Thresholds |
| 22 | 9.2 Balcony and terrace dimensions 9.3 Balcony and terrace surfaces 9.4 Sight lines via balconies and terraces |
| 23 | 10 Structural and mechanical stability and integrity |
| 24 | 11 Safety 11.1 Persons occupying the balcony or terrace |
| 26 | Figure 6 — Guarding dimensions for balconies and terraces |
| 27 | 11.2 Persons below the balcony or terrace |
| 28 | 11.3 Persons constructing, cleaning, maintaining and dismantling |
| 29 | 12 Performance in fire 12.1 General |
| 30 | 12.2 Materials and components for balconies in respect to fire |
| 31 | Figure 7 — Projecting balconies and protection from fire |
| 32 | 12.3 Materials and components for terraces in respect to fire |
| 33 | 13 Thermal considerations 13.1 General |
| 34 | 13.2 U-, ψ- (psi) and χ-(chi) values 13.3 Coupling and transmission heat loss coefficients 13.4 Condensation risk |
| 35 | 14 Ventilation outlets near balconies and terraces 15 Weathering and hydraulic design 15.1 General 15.2 Drainage of balconies and small terraces |
| 36 | Figure 8 — Pedestrian surface drainage options |
| 37 | 15.3 Drainage of large terraces |
| 38 | 15.4 Prevention of water ingress into the building |
| 39 | Figure 9 — Basic strategy for prevention of water ingress into a building |
| 40 | 15.5 Managing water drainage Figure 10 — Strategies for drainage of balconies and terraces |
| 42 | 15.6 Edge drainage of balconies and small terraces |
| 43 | Figure 11 — Edge drainage characteristics for effective discharge Figure 12 — Proximity of edge drainage to vertical surfaces |
| 44 | Figure 13 — Limitation of projection for edge drainage 15.7 Assessing the volume of rainfall on balconies and terraces |
| 45 | Figure 14 — Catchment areas 15.8 Pipe and outlet design |
| 46 | 15.9 Prevention of surface staining 16 Security 17 Acoustic design 17.1 General |
| 47 | 17.2 Balcony position on a facade Table 1 — Acoustic impact of different facade types |
| 48 | 17.3 Enhancement with acoustic absorption or diffusion |
| 49 | Figure 15 — Improving acoustic performance through either (a) absorption or (b) diffusion Figure 16 — Improving acoustic performance through either (a) absorption, or (b) diffusion – Plan view |
| 50 | 17.4 Location of ventilation opening within balcony design 17.5 Enclosed balcony design for acoustics Figure 17 — Improving acoustic performance through positioning of ventilation opening and acoustic absorption |
| 51 | 17.6 Integration within acoustics, ventilation and overheating design |
| 52 | Annex A (informative) Example arrangement of components of a terrace Figure A.1 — Terrace waterproofing example arrangement |
| 53 | Bibliography |
