Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Plastic Glazing: Building Code Definition

How the IBC 2009 define plastic glazing, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

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Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

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Direct answer

Plastic glazing is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Plastic. The code's own words are: “Plastic materials that are glazed or set in frame or sash and not held by mechanical fasteners that pass through the glazing material.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IBC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 3 chapters of this corpus, most often in Glass and Glazing (IBC 2009), Plastic (IBC 2009), Definitions (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.

Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.

What does this term mean?

Plastic Glazing — IBC 2009, Plastic:

Plastic materials that are glazed or set in frame or sash and not held by mechanical fasteners that pass through the glazing material.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Plastic Glazing: Building Code Definition — How the IBC 2009 define plastic glazing, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Plastic Glazing is defined once in this corpus, in the Plastic chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:

Plastic materials that are glazed or set in frame or sash and not held by mechanical fasteners that pass through the glazing material.

Where plastic glazing is used in the code

The term appears in 3 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Glass and Glazing	IBC 2009	8
Plastic	IBC 2009	7
Definitions	IBC 2009	1

The term in use

How the code actually writes about plastic glazing, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

Plastic glazing shall meet the weathering requirements of ANSI Z97.1.

— IBC 2009 §2406.1.2

Combinations of light-transmitting plastic glazing and light-transmitting plastic wall panels shall be subject to the area, height and percentage limitations and the separation requirements applicable to the class of light-transmitting plastic as prescribed for light-transmitting plastic wall panel installations.

— IBC 2009 §2607.6

Plastic Glazing: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.

Check	Where	Confirmed
Read the definition in the adopted IBC	Plastic
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Glass and Glazing (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Plastic (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Definitions (IBC 2009)
Local amendment to any of the above	Jurisdiction's amendment list

A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

Source links

Frequently asked questions

What is the code definition of plastic glazing?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Plastic as: “Plastic materials that are glazed or set in frame or sash and not held by mechanical fasteners that pass through the glazing material.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

Which parts of the code depend on plastic glazing?

In this corpus the term is used across 3 chapters, led by Glass and Glazing in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

What is glazing in a building?

Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as plastic glazing, which the IBC 2009 defines as “Plastic materials that are glazed or set in frame or sash and not held by mechanical fasteners that pass through the glazing material.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

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