Mt Eden Prison – Toughened & Annealed Laminated Glass

Custom glass solutions can stand at the heart of modern architectural design – this was the case in the creation of the new Mt Eden Corrections Facility. Extensive use of high-security prison glass helped achieve a sense of openness and light in the prison, without compromising security or safety.

Glasshape^® provided the specialist prison glass solution that effectively created a see through safety wall. It is a customized glass made up of layers of toughened (tempered) and annealed glass, high-grade polycarbonate and laminates.

Each element brings its own benefits to the finished product, which is around 22mm thick. A Grade A safety glass, the toughened (tempered) glass provides a strong impact-resistant surface; the annealed float glass provides clear vision by way of better structural integrity; while the polycarbonate offers maximum penetration resistance.

We designed, tested and manufactured the ArmourShield^® product for this project. When attacked, the broken annealed layers of glass adhere fast to the laminate completely eliminating the risk of shards being used as potential weapons against staff. The fragments of glass left after an attack are smaller than that of toughened (tempered) glass. The annealed glass external layers provide exceptional clarity under attack, offering prison staff optimal vision.

The ArmourShield^® glazing is tested and approved in accordance with AS3555.1, level 2 intruder-resistant panels and elements standard, withstanding a sustained attack lasting over 20 minutes with sharpened axes, sledge hammers and crowbars.