Beijing, Jan 31 (IANS) Glass curtain walls will be banned from the second floor and higher in all new residential buildings, hospitals, schools, kindergartens and nursing homes in Shanghai from Wednesday, the Shanghai Times reported.
The ban is aimed at eliminating the hazards of falling glass when curtain walls burst without warning in summer heat. The property owners will be responsible for the safety of the curtain walls.
Many accidents of falling glass from high-rise buildings have taken place in the city in recent years, prompting the government to draw the new regulation, Shen Xiaosu, deputy director of the city’s construction and transport commission, said at a press conference Tuesday.
Construction companies will pay for the inspection of curtain walls on new buildings and property owners will pay for inspection of old buildings, the rule states.
Curtain walls have a tendency to burst in the summer heat. It has become a threat in Shanghai where a large number of buildings are covered by curtain walls.
