A polycarbonate airport terminal glazing bay is a compromise between three clients: the architect who wants glass, the operator who wants nothing to break, and the maintenance team who wants to clean it with whatever is on the trolley.
A regional terminal in Scandinavia re-glazed 2400 square metres of walkway after repeated damage from baggage carts. The specification moved to 12 mm solid polycarbonate in the existing steel bays, with the same transom grid.
Polycarbonate airport terminal glazing by bay size
- Bays to 1.5 x 2.0 m: 10 mm solid polycarbonate
- Bays to 1.8 x 3.0 m: 12 mm
- Full height elevations: 15 mm, or laminated where a rating applies
- Multi-storey curtain wall: tested assembly, not a panel choice
The existing frame usually decides the thickness. A steel transom grid designed for 6 mm glass will accept a polycarbonate panel of similar stiffness at roughly 10 mm, but the rebate depth and the fixing centres have to be checked rather than assumed.
Movement, cleaning and appearance
A 15 m elevation moves about 60 mm across a year. Panels fixed hard at both ends bow, and the end bays crack. One fixed edge per panel, oversized holes, and a 3 to 5 mm joint gap is the standard detail that keeps a long elevation quiet.
Cleaning is the hidden cost. Terminal floors are cleaned with alkaline agents, and those attack polycarbonate, especially at stressed edges. A neutral detergent and a scheduled wash is the specification the maintenance contract must carry.
Appearance is the political issue. Polycarbonate has a slightly warmer tone and a different reflectance from glass, which is visible at a shallow angle. On a long elevation viewed end-on, the difference reads. Samples on site, viewed at the real angle, settle that argument before the order is placed.
Where the terminal also glazes a car park or a stair core, the details overlap with polycarbonate parking structure glazing; where balustrade panels are involved, see polycarbonate balustrade.
For the cleaning agents that are safe on a coated panel, the cleaning and maintenance guide is the reference we give to facilities teams.
Send your bay sizes, glass specification and cleaning regime to oversales@rpplexiglass.com for a glazing assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use polycarbonate in airport terminal glazing?
Impact resistance, weight and repairability. A steel-framed bay glazed with polycarbonate weighs about half a glass equivalent and survives trolley and baggage-cart impact without shattering into the circulation area.
Is polycarbonate acceptable where blast resistance is specified?
Only as part of a tested assembly. The panel, frame, anchorage and fixings must be tested together. A thickness alone is not a rating, and airport specifications almost always name a tested system.
How is thermal movement handled on a long elevation?
One fixing edge per panel, slotted or oversized holes elsewhere, and a joint that allows 3 to 5 mm per panel. A 15 m elevation with fixed panels on both ends will bow or crack at the end bays.