Planning & Spaces | Structural Engineering
Reliable stability of system walls.
How regulatory requirements under DIN 4103, impact loads and flexible ceiling connections create safe working environments.
Non-load-bearing internal partition walls must withstand high structural stresses in everyday office life, even though they do not perform a load-bearing function. Their safety is regulated in Germany by DIN 4103-1. System walls must safely transfer their own weight as well as horizontal live loads and impact loads. Proactive structural design ensures that glazed and solid partition walls remain stable at all times and that the safety of people and property is guaranteed. Furthermore, building regulations require structural verification for all installed components.
Impact loads and cantilever loads: load-bearing capacity in rooms
DIN 4103-1 distinguishes between two installation zones:
Installation Zone I covers rooms with lower occupancy levels, such as offices, hotel rooms and hospital wards, including corridors.
Installation Zone II applies to areas with high occupancy levels, such as meeting rooms, classrooms, lecture theatres or retail spaces.
In addition, system walls must be able to support vertical cantilever loads. Whether heavy wall-mounted cupboards, shelving or large-format media screens – thanks to integrated cross-beams and reinforced substructures, solid-wall and glass elements safely support these loads without deforming or losing stability.
Flexibly accommodating ceiling connections and building movements
A major challenge in the structural design of system walls is the dynamic movement of the building structure. Deflections in reinforced concrete ceilings or thermal expansion give rise to vertical loads which must not be transferred to the non-load-bearing wall. Specially developed, telescopic-style ceiling connections structurally decouple the partition wall from the raw ceiling. This allows ceiling movements of ± 15 mm and more to be absorbed without damage, without placing glass panes under pressure or causing cracks in the wall structure. This ensures reliable protection for buildings, designers and users.
Fall protection with feco glazing systems
Beyond simply dividing spaces, transparent walls can fulfil essential safety functions in parapet or gallery-style installations. The fecoplan, fecofix and fecostruct glass partition systems can be installed as fall protection glazing in accordance with DIN 18008-4 and are reliably certified by general building authority test certificates (AbP). Floor and ceiling connections on site must be carried out in accordance with the approved structural analysis in order to safely absorb dynamic impact forces in the event of an emergency and to combine reliable personal protection with transparency.
Conclusion: Structural safety as the foundation for flexible spatial concepts
Proactive design in accordance with DIN 4103-1 and DIN 18008-4 provides a reliable foundation for adaptable office architecture. By fully complying with all building regulations and standard requirements, feco system walls offer maximum planning certainty for architects and clients. The well-thought-out interplay of load-bearing substructures, flexible ceiling connections and tested fall protection permanently combines the maximum stability of feco system walls with full design flexibility for modern working environments.
Find out more: Media & Downloads
Make use of further information from our specialist sources and empirical surveys to optimise your planning processes in detail:
DIN 4103-1: Standard setting out requirements for stability, impact loads and cantilever loads
Non-load-bearing internal partition walls
VDI – Association of German Engineers: Guideline on the verification of load-bearing capacity and structural stability
Structural stability of buildings
German Institute for Building Technology: Building authority approvals, type approvals and test certificates for construction products and types
Approvals and certificates of conformity for construction products
FAQ – Structural Engineering
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DIN 4103-1 defines the structural requirements, stability criteria and verification procedures for non-load-bearing internal partition walls in building construction.
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Installation Zone I covers areas with low footfall (e.g. offices, sick rooms, corridors), whilst Installation Zone II applies to areas with high footfall (e.g. classrooms, lecture theatres, assembly halls)
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Telescopic ceiling connections accommodate component movement and tolerances without transferring the loads to the glass or solid wall elements.
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