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American National Standard for Integrated Sliding Door Opening Assemblies
A156.43-2023 establishes requirements for Integrated Sliding Door Opening Assemblies supplied complete and ready to install with all integral hardware. At a minimum, they shall include a door panel, and hanging device. Performance requirements include operational, cycle, and abuse tests.
BHMA has created this series of Hardware Highlights to provide useful, accessible information about builders hardware for anyone with an interest in devices that hang, control, secure, and trim the doors. BHMA is the trade association which represents almost all of the North American manufacturers of builders hardware. One of its main activities since 1983 has been the development and maintenance of ANSI-approved standards for over 40 separate product categories.
Product Performance: Purchasers of integrated door opening assemblies certified to A156.43 (http://buildershardware.com/cpd) can be assured products will perform to their expectations.
Below are an explanation and some examples of the evaluations conducted for certification:
Attributes such as the force to close the door are measured to ensure ease of egress and smooth closing. The forces to open the door vary by the type of hardware. For example: lever operated locks must open with a maximum torque of 28 in-lbf.
Building products are expected to last a long time, and builders hardware is no exception. Grade 1 integrated door hardware assemblies, for example, must pass a rigorous test through 500,000 cycles of opening and closing including abuse cycles.
Tests such as the Pull Test check for deterioration of the assembly by applying a series of forces to the trailing edge of the door. Failure occers if there is a permanent or catastrophic failure resuling in a safety hazard or impairment of function.
Builders hardware provides several attributes that are essential to building safety and performance, including egress and fire protection. BHMA locksets are designed to comply with all applicable requirements. For example, hardware for fire doors is evaluated and listed to UL 10C by an accredited third-party testing laboratory.
There are various types of trim which meet the ADA and A117.1 requirements for operable parts to be “operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist.” Lever or paddle type trim meets these stipulations, while knob trim should be avoided for accessible routes. In addition, BHMA certified hardware must comply with the operational forces in their respective standards, which have been shown to be suitable for accessible applications.
Function Numbers: Another significant contribution of standards for product specification is a numbering system for lock function. Please consult A156.43 for the full list; an example is provided here:
Example: Q3A512A-SC denotes an integrated sliding door opening assembly, grade 3, weight class A, single aluminum sliding door, fixed pull trim, aluminum frame, soft close option.