# Glass Partition Calculator: Panels, Doors, Channels and Film

> A glass partition is a run of fixed glass panels held in floor and ceiling channels or a framing profile, with glass doors on patch fittings and floor springs or pivots, and a glass over-panel above each door where the door is lower than the partition. Its quantities follow from the run length, the height, the widest panel allowed and the number of doors.

## What it calculates

For a straight run of glass partition, frameless or framed, the calculator gives:

- the number of **fixed glass panels**, in equal widths no wider than the module entered;
- the **glass area**, in sq ft and m², of the fixed panels, door leaves and over-panels;
- the number of **glass doors** and **door hardware sets**;
- the number of **patch fittings**, from an editable count per door;
- the running length of **floor channel** and **ceiling channel**;
- the area of **frosting or manifestation film**.

It does **not** calculate or suggest glass thickness, glass weight or the type of safety
glass. Glass type and thickness are a safety decision made by the designer under
**IS 16231** (Use of glass in buildings) and by the glass supplier, not by this calculator.

## Inputs

**Partition run length** is the full length of the glass line in feet, doors included.

**Partition height** is from finished floor to the underside of the ceiling channel.

**Maximum panel (module) width** is the widest fixed panel the design and the glass supplier
allow. The fixed glass is split into equal panels no wider than this.

**Glass doors** is the number of door leaves; count a double door as two.

The **assumptions** panel holds the door leaf width and height, the number of patch fittings
per door, the height of the frosting or manifestation band, and the wastage on film.

## Method

1. Fixed run = run length − doors × door width.
2. Fixed panels = fixed run ÷ maximum panel width, rounded up; each panel is fixed run ÷
   panels wide.
3. Over-panels = one above each door where the door is lower than the partition.
4. Glass area = fixed run × height + doors × door width × door height + over-panels × door
   width × (height − door height).
5. Door hardware sets = doors; patch fittings = doors × fittings per door.
6. Floor channel = fixed run; ceiling channel = full run length.
7. Film = band height × run length × (1 + wastage).

## Assumptions

| Assumption | Default | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Door leaf width | 3 ft | Change for wider leaves |
| Door leaf height | 7 ft | Glass above it is counted as an over-panel |
| Patch fittings per door | 4 | Take the count from the door hardware schedule |
| Frosting or manifestation band | 1 ft | Total film height across the run; position set by the design |
| Wastage on film | 10% | Cuts at panel edges and joints |

The maximum panel width (4 ft by default) is an input, not an assumption: it is limited by
the design, by the glass sizes the supplier can process and handle, and by what can be
carried into the building.

## Limitations

- **No glass thickness, weight or safety-glass type.** These are set for each panel by the
  designer and glass supplier under IS 16231, whose Part 4 deals with safety related to
  human impact. They depend on panel size, how the glass is supported and where it is.
- **Straight runs only.** Corners, T-junctions and returns need corner profiles or
  connectors; add each straight run separately.
- **Gross glass area.** The area ignores the small gaps at joints and around doors, so it
  is slightly more than the glass actually ordered. Glass is ordered panel by panel to
  measured sizes.
- **Doors are single leaves at a standard size.** Sliding doors, double-action doors and
  leaves of different sizes need their own count.
- **Vertical joints are not counted.** Framed systems have vertical profiles at panel
  joints; frameless systems have sealed or clear-profile joints. Both come from the system
  supplier's details.
- **Support for the ceiling channel is not designed.** How the channel is fixed to the slab
  or carried through a false ceiling is a design detail for the system supplier.
- **Acoustic seals, gaskets, silicone and fixings are left out.** They follow the system
  supplier's details.

## Worked example

A glass partition 30 ft long and 9 ft high with one door leaf 3 × 7 ft, panels no wider
than 4 ft, 4 patch fittings per door and a 1 ft frosting band with 10% wastage:

| Step | Calculation | Result |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fixed run | 30 − 1 × 3 | 27 ft |
| Fixed panels | 27 / 4, rounded up | 7, each 3.86 ft wide |
| Over-panels | one above the door, 3 × (9 − 7) ft | 1 |
| Glass area | 27 × 9 + 1 × 3 × 7 + 1 × 3 × 2 | 270 sq ft (25.1 m²) |
| Door hardware sets | 1 door | 1 |
| Patch fittings | 1 × 4 | 4 |
| Floor channel | fixed run | 27 ft (8.23 m) |
| Ceiling channel | full run | 30 ft (9.14 m) |
| Frosting film | 1 × 30 × 1.10 | 33 sq ft |

The run needs **7 fixed panels, 1 door leaf and 1 over-panel (9 pieces of glass, 270 sq ft
in all), 1 door hardware set, 4 patch fittings, 27 ft of floor channel, 30 ft of ceiling
channel and 33 sq ft of film**.

## How engineers use it

On a fit-out, glass partitions are drawn as types on the layout, each with an elevation
showing the panel divisions, doors, over-panels and film. The glass supplier and the
designer then fix the glass make-up for each panel, and the system supplier provides the
profiles, door hardware and fixing details. Quantities are taken off from those elevations.
A quick estimate like this one is used at concept stage, to compare layouts or to check a
supplier's quantities.

## When a professional design must replace it

Use the calculator for early quantities and to check a supplier's count. Replace it with
elevations and the supplier's shop drawings before ordering. The glass type and thickness
of every panel, and the position of manifestation, must be decided by the designer and the
glass supplier under IS 16231, and a glass partition that must achieve a fire or acoustic
rating must match a tested system exactly.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many glass panels does a partition need?

Take the run length, subtract the width of the door leaves, divide the rest by the widest panel the design and the glass supplier allow, and round up. The fixed glass is then split into that many equal panels. A 30 ft run with one 3 ft door and panels no wider than 4 ft needs 7 fixed panels, each about 3.86 ft wide.

### What glass thickness should a glass partition use?

This calculator does not say, deliberately. Glass type, thickness and whether it must be toughened or laminated are safety decisions made by the designer and the glass supplier for each panel, under IS 16231 (Use of glass in buildings), taking account of panel size, support, location and the risk of people walking into it.

### How many patch fittings does a frameless glass door need?

It depends on the door hardware schedule. A single frameless door commonly has a top patch, a bottom patch and a lock patch, and often a connector to the over-panel or side panel. The calculator multiplies the doors by an editable count per door, starting at 4, so change it to match the hardware schedule.

### Why is the floor channel shorter than the ceiling channel?

Frameless glass doors swing on a floor spring or pivot, so no floor channel runs across the door opening. The ceiling channel runs the full length because it also holds the over-panels above the doors. The calculator therefore counts floor channel under the fixed panels only and ceiling channel along the whole run.

### How much frosting or manifestation film is needed?

Multiply the total height of film across the run by the run length and add a wastage allowance. A 1 ft band along a 30 ft run is 30 sq ft, or 33 sq ft with 10% wastage. Where the film goes, and its pattern, come from the design and the safety assessment of the glazing.

### Does the calculator work for framed glass partitions?

Yes, for the panels, glass area, doors, film, and floor and ceiling profiles. A framed system also has vertical profiles at panel joints and its own door frames, which come from the system supplier's drawings and are not counted here.

## Sources

- [IS 16231](https://standards.bis.gov.in/website/published-standards/department-wise) — Use of glass in buildings — code of practice

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Source: https://hagerstone.com/calculators/glass-partition-calculator