Glass and Ceramics Industries Standards Summary – May 2025 Monthly Overview

Looking back at May 2025, the Glass and Ceramics Industries sector experienced a notable development in its standardization landscape, with the publication of an influential European standard. This monthly overview distills the essential details for professionals across engineering, quality management, compliance, and procurement, offering concise analysis and practical insight into the latest requirements affecting laminated glass products. Whether you're concerned with regulatory alignment, structural design, or market competitiveness, staying updated on these developments is crucial for informed decision-making and risk management.

Monthly Overview: May 2025

May 2025 brought focused activity in the Glass and Ceramics Industries standards arena, led by the release of a key revision: EN 16613:2025 – Glass in building – Laminated glass and laminated safety glass – Determination of interlayer viscoelastic properties. This standard, adopted by CEN and intended for widespread national implementation across Europe, updates the technical foundation for determining the mechanical behavior of interlayer materials used in laminated and safety glass products. Its arrival reflects the sector’s ongoing response to evolving requirements for structural performance, safety, and acoustic control.

This month’s publication activity, compared to broader multi-standard months, was targeted but impactful. Focusing on a single, deeply technical revision highlights the industry's current priority: refining and validating methodologies that underpin reliable product design and performance verification. In a regulatory context increasingly shaped by digitization, simulation, and acoustic considerations, this updated standard aligns well with the direction of modern building and architectural applications.

Standards Published This Month

EN 16613:2025 – Determination of Interlayer Viscoelastic Properties

Full Standard Title: Glass in building – Laminated glass and laminated safety glass – Determination of interlayer viscoelastic properties

Published on May 7, 2025, by CEN, EN 16613:2025 establishes updated procedures for determining the mechanical viscoelastic properties of interlayer materials used in laminated and safety glass. These interlayers are critical components in architectural glazing systems, providing not only structural integration between glass plies but also safety, durability, and acoustic benefits.

Scope and Applicability

EN 16613:2025 applies to the testing of interlayers (such as PVB, EVA, ionomers, and others) used between panes in laminated glass and laminated safety glass. The standard specifies laboratory procedures, including sample preparation and test conditions, to determine temperature and time-dependent shear modulus—a key parameter when engineering glass systems to resist dynamic loads, impacts, and environmental factors.

The test results are directly used in computational modeling for product design, especially with reference to EN 16612:2019 on lateral load resistance and the EN 19100 series for structural glass design. The parameters derived, particularly those of the Prony series, enable accurate simulation in finite element analysis and facilitate compliance with both safety legislation and performance specifications.

Key Technical Requirements and Innovations

• Revised Test Procedure: The core test method now uses parallel-plate oscillation, allowing for more precise measurement of viscoelastic behavior over temperature and frequency ranges. This improves correlation with real-world conditions and architectural demands.
• Master Curve and Prony Series: Annex C outlines the application of time-temperature superposition principles and the derivation of Prony parameters, which are essential for advanced numeric modeling and service life prediction.
• Bending Creep Method: For interlayer materials that are non-isotropic or that present testing challenges in small specimens, Annex A provides bending creep methodologies to ensure comprehensive coverage across material types.
• Extended Scope for Acoustic Analysis: Annex D introduces detailed procedures to determine mechanical properties affecting sound reduction, highlighting the growing importance of acoustic performance in building glazing.
• Test Report and Classification: The standard clarifies reporting requirements and removes interlayer stiffness family classification criteria, now favoring targeted material characterization for specific design applications.

Who Needs to Comply

This standard is critical for:

• Glass manufacturers and laminators (especially those producing structural and safety glass)
• Material suppliers (interlayer producers/developers)
• Architectural and structural engineers
• Testing laboratories (accredited for materials testing)
• Quality and compliance managers in construction and building products

It sits at the intersection of regulatory compliance (with EN and national codes), product certification, and performance-driven design for both commercial and residential glazing projects.

Notable Changes from EN 16613:2019

• Shift from tensile vibration to parallel-plate oscillation for primary testing
• Enhanced descriptions and stepwise methodology for consistency and reproducibility
• Expanded methods to address multilayer and non-isotropic materials
• Improved integration of acoustic property testing and geometrical assessment
• Removal of stiffness classification, focusing instead on detailed, application-specific data

Key highlights:

• Focuses on accurate characterization of temperature- and time-dependent interlayer shear modulus
• Supports advanced simulation, finite element analysis, and compliance with building codes
• Covers both isotropic and non-isotropic material behaviors, as well as acoustic performance parameters

Access the full standard:View EN 16613:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

The release of EN 16613:2025 is significant not just for its technical details, but for the broader trends it reveals in the Glass and Ceramics Industries:

• Precision in Simulation and Product Design: As both regulatory scrutiny and market demands for safety, durability, and performance intensify, accurate material property data underpins robust simulation methods and reduces reliance on conservative over-design.
• Shift Towards Multi-functional Glazing: Modern architectural glass is expected to deliver on mechanical strength, safety post-breakage, acoustic insulation, and sometimes even security or environmental controls. Standards now reflect this complexity, with expanded test methods and performance evaluation.
• Lifecycle and Durability Focus: By refining viscoelastic property assessment (including environmental conditioning and creep validation), the standard improves predictability and service-life planning for buildings.
• Sound Insulation Considerations: The extension into acoustic property characterization meets growing urban and regulatory needs for noise management in building design and certification.
• Convergence with International Standards: EN 16613:2025 closely interfaces with ISO and EN references, evidencing the sector’s move toward harmonization of global product criteria and testing methods.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

Organizations impacted by this standard should approach compliance methodically:

1. Gap Analysis: Review current laboratory methods and design protocols against the revised procedures (e.g., shift to parallel-plate oscillation; expanded test temperature/frequency ranges).
2. Laboratory Upgrading: Ensure access to equipment enabling DMTA (Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis) and support for time-temperature superposition analysis; revisit calibration and accreditation requirements.
3. Training and Documentation: Update internal documentation and provide technical training on new procedures, interpretations, and test reporting formats.
4. Design Process Integration: Confirm that structural and acoustic simulation models incorporate updated Prony parameters and master curves as required.
5. Supplier Coordination: Coordinate with interlayer suppliers to verify production materials are tested and qualified per the new methodologies, with clear specification of target application and use cases.

Timeline:

• As the standard was published in May 2025 and mandates withdrawal of conflicting national standards by November 2025, organizations should plan for transition within this window.
• Early adoption teams may use the six-month window to validate new procedures, run pilot tests, and update technical files in advance of regulatory requirements.

Resources:

• Access the full text via iTeh Standards for comprehensive procedures, normative references, and examples
• Consult relevant parts of EN 16612:2019 (lateral load resistance) for design integration
• Engage with professional networks and CEN member bodies for clarification and cross-jurisdictional harmonization

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from May 2025

May 2025’s spotlight on EN 16613:2025 underlines the Glass and Ceramics Industries sector’s ongoing transformation towards data-driven design, multipurpose product performance, and harmonized compliance frameworks. For industry professionals, this standard brings a suite of revised requirements that enhance the safety, reliability, and acoustic effectiveness of laminated glass installations in building applications.

Recommendations:

• Take prompt action to review and align internal quality assurance, testing, and design procedures with the new standard
• Collaborate with supply chain partners and accredited laboratories to ensure robust compliance
• Stay engaged with future revisions and related standards (e.g., the EN 19100 series), as the trend toward integrated and multi-criteria product evaluation continues

Remaining current with these standards is not simply a matter of routine compliance, but a foundation for competitive advantage, customer trust, and regulatory assurance in the built environment. Professionals are encouraged to dive into the full publication and leverage the detailed guidelines and test data to future-proof their design and production strategies.

For further details and access to the full standard, visit: View EN 16613:2025 on iTeh Standards