Opening the door to improved access control

by Katie Daniel | December 8, 2015 5:02 pm

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by Michael Tierney
Many architects and specifiers are well-versed with regard to American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) standards for builders’ hardware used throughout North America. These standards typically pertain to commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities, covering everything from hinges to locks to power doors. Not only do they provide clear definitions of equipment terms, but they also fully describe methods for rigorous laboratory testing of the hardware.

Typically, the quality of the materials is classified into ‘Grades’ according to whether or not it withstands the testing conditions. This system goes a long way toward keeping substandard products out of buildings. The standards are often referenced in building codes involving life-safety regulations and other activities that specifically involve builders’ hardware. They provide a methodology for ensuring the correct products are specified in construction projects with regard to quality and function.

The latest round of updates includes:

• ANSI/BHMA A156.3-2014, American National Standard for Exit Devices;
• ANSI/BHMA A156.5, American National Standard for Cylinders and Input Devices for Locks;
• ANSI/BMHA A156.11, American National Standard for Cabinet Locks;
• ANSI/BMHA A156.30, American National Standard for High-security Cylinders; and
• ANSI/BMHA A156.115, American National Standard for Hardware Preparation for Steel Doors and Steel Frames.

This article provides a brief overview of these five standards and the new changes implemented therein. For further details, designers should refer to the published standards, available from BHMA.

Exit devices
One of the oldest BHMA standards covers exit devices and its associated definitions including panic and fire-exit hardware. Specifically, ‘panic hardware’ is defined in A156.3-2014 as:

A door latching assembly incorporating an actuating member usually called an actuating bar which releases the latching or locking mechanisms upon the application of force in the direction of exit travel.

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Building on this definition, ‘fire-exit hardware’ is defined by A156.3-2014 as:

Panic Hardware which additionally provides fire protection when used as part of a fire door assembly.

Interestingly, there are 20 different types of exit devices listed in the standard with dozens of illustrations. Revisions to the 2014 version involved the usual updating of references to other standards. However, one revision especially worth noting has to do with a subtle change in the testing methods for the operation of the exit devices. These devices must now be preloaded with a weight prior to the cycling (The cycle tests for exit hardware now include preloading. For Grade 1, a force is applied to the door when it is latched. The force places a net 88 to 97 N (20 to 22 lbf) load on the latch and it is applied in the direction of the door swing until the door is opened. The force shall be applied using weights. ) of the exit device, making this test considerably more difficult to pass than it used to be and resulting in fewer products being certified as Grade 1. (The Grade is determined by how soon the locks fail under testing as defined in the standard.)

While the application of this force may not seem very significant, it actually makes it harder to obtain a Grade 1 rating.

The applied force in this test mimics real-world use where doors may have forces from gasketing or air pressure pressed on them when the exit device is operated. An exit device that performs under idealized laboratory test conditions might not work as well in the field where these additional forces exist. This change to the standard ensures Grade 1 hardware lives up to expectations; it also serves to keep substandard products off the market. Further, some of the ambiguities in the text of the standard regarding how to conduct the testing have also been removed.

Users of this standard are cautioned over the selection of exit devices to be installed on fire doors. Only devices investigated for both fire and panic protection may be used. Labels employed by laboratories listing such devices bear the designation, ‘Fire Exit Hardware.’ Other devices, although suitable for many doors within a means of egress, may not be used with fire door assemblies. The fire door must also bear a label containing the phrase, ‘Fire Door to be equipped with Fire Exit Hardware.’

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Locks and cylinders
Some of the key components of door hardware are locks and lock cylinders. A cylinder is defined in ANSI/BHMA A156.5 as:

The subassembly of a lock containing a plug with a keyway and a body with movable detainers.

This is an important area for standardization as it relates to building security. Greater security comes at a high price; it is crucial to know the grade or level of security provided by a given lock set.

Locks may have different functions. The lock to a broom closet need not be as secure as the lock to a jewelry store. How these locks are rated involves both the inherent strength of the device and the ease of defeating the locking mechanism of the cylinder.

Several BHMA standards covering locks and cylinders were recently revised and upgraded, including the basic standard covering cylinders and input devices for locks (A156.5), as well as those for cabinet locks (A156.11), and high-security cylinders (A156.30).

In the case of, ANSI/BHMA A156.5, significant changes were made to the sections on mechatronics. Input devices is defined in ANSI/BHMA A156.5 as:

Electrified input devices and push button mechanism.

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An electrified input device is defined as:

The electrified locks equivalent to a cylinder for reading a credential and transmitting the ‘key code’ to the controlling device. Examples include card readers, keypads, contact memory key readers, radio frequency (proximity) readers, optical readers, and biometric readers.

The tests in this BHMA standard were compared to a related standard from the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) EN 15684, Standard for Mechatronic Cylinders. Test methods in the BHMA standard were added to or improved to bring it into alignment with the mechatronics testing described in the European standard. Another change included more cycle tests for keypads added to the trials of contactless readers. These changes make the BHMA standard current—ensuring it is easier to provide standardized locks that can be controlled electronically.

Similar changes were made to the standard covering high-security cylinders, which are defined as:

Cylinders meeting the requirements of A156.30, and provide increased resistance to entry through destructive or surreptitious means.

An important difference between high-security and other types of cylinders is the former is classified in terms of Levels A, B, or C, rather than Grades 1, 2, or 3. Manufacturers indicate the high-security level of their cylinders. In order to obtain a level listing, cylinders are required to meet and pass all the tests. Levels indicate special security features and are separate from Grades. As with A156.5, adjustments have made to A156.30 by checking the tests in the EN 15684, Standard for Mechatronic Cylinders, against the applicable BHMA Standards.

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An interesting feature of a Level A high-security cylinder is it must resist manual picking for 15 minutes by Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA)-registered locksmiths with at least five years of experience, using manual manipulation or picking tools that are commercially available. Details for this test are outlined in the standard.

One addition to the newly revised standard for high-security cylinders is the definition for picking has been added:

Manipulating tumblers in a keyed lock mechanism through the keyway, without obvious damage, by means other than the specifically designed key.(See 2.17 in the standard.)

The revised A156.11 standard applies to cabinet locks for doors, drawers, and furniture. Applications include file cabinets, desk drawers, sliding doors, lockers, chests, glass showcases, and countless others. This standard provides illustrations for each of the major types of cabinet locks as well as clear definitions of related terms. Further, cycle tests, operational tests, strength tests, and finish tests are included in the standard. This standard is indispensable to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who make such products as well as the end-users. The new edition of this standard includes the addition of the cam lever lock handle as a type of cabinet lock. The scope section has been revised to be more consistent with later standards.

Rules for connecting hardware to steel doors
Perhaps one of the most significant revisions is the ANSI/BHMA A156.115, Hardware Preparation in Steel Doors or Steel Frames. It is unique because it is a joint standard with several other associations, and because it applies to both hardware and doors.

A156.115 deals less with testing protocols and more with the standardization of dimensions allowing hardware to be readily installed in or on steel doors. The door manufacturer does not always include hardware with its doors, so specifiers can mix-and-match hardware and doors as best suits the application. However, especially for steel doors, properly sized and spaced holes need to be machined into the doors at the factory. This preparation applies to both the doors and the hardware to ensure interchangeability of parts.

The development of this standard, commonly referred to as the ‘A115’ series of standards, required the active participation of multiple industry associations, including BHMA, Hollow Metal Manufacturers Association (HMMA), Door and Hardware Institute (DHI), Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA), and Steel Door Institute (SDI). The latest revisions include:

• adding three new frame hinge drawings;
• improving the electric hinge frame prep drawings;
• revising the unit lock drawings;
• clarifying the lock case reinforcement requirement; and
• adding preparation for flush bolts.

Residential standards
Also new for 2014, BHMA drafted the first-ever residential standards for North America. Published in early 2015, the two new standards establish performance requirements for locksets, latches, and deadbolts used in single and multifamily dwellings and include tests for durability, strength, and finish.

Many residential product standards were contained within BHMA standards, but users had to know where to look for them. BHMA standards could previously be applied both to commercial buildings and residential builders hardware with residential products typically being lower-grade, but now BHMA has created dedicated standards for residential applications.

ANSI/BHMA 156.39-2015, Residential Locksets and Latches, requires locksets to test through at least 400,000 cycles of opening and closing with a 2-kg (5-lb) load, in addition to passing 11 aggressive examinations to ensure the locks provide a high level of security. ANSI/BHMA 156.40-2015, Residential Deadbolts, requires deadbolts to test through the same number of cycles, and requires products to pass 17 security assessments, one of which requires 6005 N (1350 lbf) to be loaded against the deadbolt.

A full residential standards program is set to launch later this year. The program includes a campaign to raise consumer awareness about the benefits of purchasing certified hardware and advise them to look for the new BHMA residential label.

Conclusion
Founded in 1925, the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association currently authors 40 ANSI/BHMA standards. To comply with ANSI requirements and ensure continued product safety, each standard is reviewed approximately once every five years from its inception and is revised accordingly. (For more details about any of the various ANSI/BHMA standards, as well as the certified products directory, visit www.buildershardware.com[6].)

As BHMA celebrates its 90^th anniversary this year, the association continues to proactively lead the industry, working jointly with leaders involved in hardware, security, door and safety to keep North America safe and secure.

MEASURING GREEN

Last year, the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) announced the publication of the complete North American product category rules (PCR) for builders’ hardware. These rules were developed to assist manufacturers in the technical assessments necessary to produce environmental product declarations (EPDs). BHMA’s PCR program will facilitate the generation of analyses of a products’ environmental impact—a step that must be completed in preparation of EPDs—while also streamlining comparisons of the completed EPDs across these product categories. EPDs are becoming increasingly in demand by environmentally conscious specifiers and owners, while the latest version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating program will begin to make them mandatory.

 

[7]Michael Tierney has served as the product standards co-ordinator for the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) for more than 16 years, where he co-ordinates the development and revision BHMA’s performance standards for building hardware products. Tierney came to BHMA following a 20-year career in manufacturing management at United Technologies, Honeywell, Black and Decker, and Yale Security. He is a principle member on technical committees for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the A117 Committee for Accessible Buildings, ASTM, and the American National Standards Institute ANSI.

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