NGA Moves to Update Building Codes for Exterior Tempered Glass

GlassBase

Jul 14, 2026 2 - 3 min. read

Photo by Kunal Kalra on Unsplash

The National Glass Association (NGA) is preparing proposals to change building codes covering exterior lites of tempered glass, the organization reported following its Glass Conference Track at the NGA Glass Fabricator Conference (GFAB) in Chicago in June. More than 100 glass industry technical leaders attended the event, where NGA's Fabricating, Forming, and Advocacy Committees met to review ongoing technical work. The planned code changes matter to window and door manufacturers, glaziers, and glass fabricators because they could alter design and safety requirements for exterior glazing installed in commercial and residential fenestration systems.

The tempering task group falls under the NGA Fabricating Committee, chaired by Aaron Thompson of Viracon with Bobby Chestnut of Walker Glass serving as vice-chair. The committee named D.J. Weil of Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions as its new Tempering Liaison. Weil's group is working on the code change proposal alongside two other tempering-related initiatives: a task group developing a standard for heat soaking, a process that tests tempered glass for a defect called nickel sulfide inclusion before installation, and an ad hoc group reviewing measurement procedures for materials used in photovoltaic modules.

The tempering group plans to bring its building code proposal forward during the next code development cycle. NGA did not specify a target code body or timeline in its Chicago recap. The initiative sits alongside broader Fabricating Committee work, including a new task group on suction cup best practices for glass handling and participation in an ASTM task group examining see-through distortion in glass.

Exterior tempered lites are widely used in curtain wall systems, storefronts, and high-performance double-pane and triple-pane IGUs, and any code revision could affect design specifications, testing requirements, or material sourcing across the fenestration supply chain. NGA has not yet released the specific language of the proposed changes.