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  2. Technical information
  3. Load capacities

Load capacities

Basic information

When selecting or specifying a hinge, it is often the case that the load alone is assumed to be the door weight. However, the load on the hinge can often be many times greater than the door weight due to various factors.

Even considering these different criteria, an additional reserve should be always accounted for when selecting the hinge. Sufficiently dimensioned hinges should be used, especially in public buildings, where doors must be able to withstand special loads due to the frequency with which they are opened and strain that cannot always be accounted for (preschools, hospitals, etc.), even if this would not be necessary in terms of pure door weight. In  accordance with the SIMONSWERK installation instructions, a dimensionally accurate and correct stop is always required.

The following criteria must be taken into account when selecting a hinge in order to avoid damage:

  • place of use (residential building, public building, school, administrative, barracks, preschools, etc.)
  • element material type
  • opening frequency
  • door dimensions (e.g. extra wide)
  • arrangement of the hinges
  • installation of the hinges
  • outwards opening doors (vestibule)
  • door stops
  • door closers
  • rotary wing drive
  • closing sequence control
  • wall reveals
Load capacities

Extra wide doors

SIMONSWERK heavy-duty hinges are generally intended for the specified load capacities. Please note that the load capacities decrease from the reference dimension while the hinge spacing remains the same.

Load capacities

Third hinge

In addition to the factors mentioned above the use of a third hinge can have a significant impact on the load capacity. In practice often a third hinge is located in the middle of the door in order to meet the optical demands and to minimise warping in the centre of the door.

Under certain circumstances however it may be useful or even necessary to additionally support the upper hinge which takes most of the major tractive forces - this could be true, for instance, in the case of extrawide doors (>1000 mm), where additional forces occur due to the lever action. For these applications the third hinge has to be located in the upper third since only then the load capacity of the hinge is positively influenced. SIMONSWERK recommends reducing the specified spacing of 350 mm to the dimension of 250 mm, depending on the knuckle length.

A third hinge does not necessarily lead to an increase in the specified load value. It has a supporting effect in case of additional stress that occurs, e.g. when a door closer is used or in case of high frequency of use, etc.

Load capacities

Door closers, opening limiters, latching function

When using top door closers and opening limiters, SIMONSWERK recommends installing a third hinge in the upper third of the door (see “Third hinge”). Correctly adjusting the closer is a basic prerequisite for long-term flawless functioning.

A locking device adds an unpredictable additional load on the hinge technology. When using a component with a latching-locking function, it is essential to ensure sufficient safety measures for the hinges are taken into account.

The use of door closing systems fitted laterally in the rebate must be inspected on a case-by-case basis due to the unfavourable angle of rotation and the resulting force effect.

Load capacities

Closing sequence control

When implementing a closing sequence control for double-leaf doors, it is crucial to ensure that a damped locking device is used for the active leaf. This prevents the forces from being transferred 1:1 to the hinges. In this case, SIMONSWERK recommends placing a third hinge in the upper third (see “Third hinge”).

Load capacities

High frequencies

SIMONSWERK recommends pairing the hinges at the top for doors that are used very frequently. In this case, SIMONSWERK recommends placing a hinge in the upper third (see “Third hinge”).

Load capacities

Door drives

When using a side-hung leaf drive, SIMONSWERK recommends installing a total of four hinges in pairs at the top and bottom, respectively. The distance between the hinge pairs should not exceed 350 mm (see “Third hinge”).

Load capacities

Door stops

If a door stop has to be used, it should either be wall-mounted or placed on the floor approx. 75% of the door width away from the hinge axis in the direction of the lock.

Load capacities

Wall reveals

Factors such as protruding wall reveals or the like are generally not to be evaluated due to the leverage effect that can occur as a result of the door overturning. In such cases, the dimensions of the doors can quickly cause to damage to the fastening, hinge or the like.

Load capacities

Floor seal

When using a floor seal, it should be properly adjusted in order to avoid unnecessary additional strain on the bottom hinge. In particular, preventing crushing caused by the ‘trigger’ in the rebate area and disproportionately strong pressure of the seal against the floor is critical.

Load capacities

Frame fixing

In order to maximise the load capacity of a door hinge, it is essential that all components are installed properly and professionally. So particular attention must be paid to the fastening of the door element to the wall. Special care should be taken when attaching the frame to the wall or partition frame, especially when dealing with surrounding frames, which may be made of steel, aluminium or timber, as they are often less stable. Simply foaming this area is not recommended for door weights > 40 kg. Instead, a force-fit connection must be established via a screw or dowel connection through the hinge holder, or max. 100 mm from the outer edge of the hinges.

Load capacities

Floor clearance

Adequate clearance from the floor must be ensured over the entire opening angle of the door. For interior doors, DIN 18101 specifies a distance of 7 mm as the nominal dimension for the floor clearance. In the case of uneven or sloping floors, it may be necessary to adjust the clearance accordingly. A slight sagging of the door over the entire opening angle is to be regarded as normal from a technical point of view, depending on the door width, door weight, etc.

Other

The points laid out here are merely guidelines. In practice, considering factors such as the door’s characteristics, frequency of use, location, etc., it may be beneficial to take into account these aspects even with narrow door widths. Each application must be considered individually. In each case, care should be taken to ensure that the hinges are sufficiently dimensioned to account for the surrounding factors.