Free AIA/LEED CE Course

    Glass Floor Walkways and Stair Treads

    Glass can do something no other walking surface can do: it turns circulation into an experience—pulling daylight through floors, opening sightlines, and creating that “wow” moment while still meeting real-world performance demands. This one-hour, narrated video course explores how glass can be successfully integrated into walkways and stair systems, with a practical focus on safety, structural performance, and sustainability.

    Attendees will learn how to think through the details that matter most—glass type selection, slip resistance, structural supports, and connection detailing—so glass flooring systems meet both the design vision and the functional expectations of everyday use. The course also connects glass walkways and stairs to sustainable strategies like daylighting, energy efficiency, and potential LEED pathways.

    Glass Floors & Glass Stairs AIA CEU Course Outline

    1. Why Walkable Glass Works (When It’s Done Right)

      Where glass floors, walkways, and stair treads add value (light, openness, experience)

      Key performance goals: comfort, confidence underfoot, and durability

    2. Glass Types + System Performance

      Comparing glass options used in walkway and stair applications

      How selection impacts structural performance, durability, privacy, and aesthetics

    3. Slip Resistance + Surface Strategies

      Why slip resistance is a design decision early, not late

      How surface approaches influence safety and comfort

    4. Structural Supports + Detailing That Protect the Design

      Support concepts that drive stability and user comfort

      Detailing considerations that help meet code compliance and long-term performance

    5. Sustainability + LEED Connections

      How glass walkways/stairs can support daylighting and broader sustainable design intent

      Where LEED thinking may connect with system choices

    Learning Objectives

    By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

    • Explain how glass walkways and stair systems support health, safety, and welfare through proper material selection, detailing, and installation
    • Differentiate glass types used in these applications and describe how each addresses structural performance, durability, slip resistance, and privacy
    • Identify key design/support considerations that ensure structural stability, code compliance, and long-term performance
    • Recognize how glass walkways and stairs can support sustainable strategies, including daylighting and potential LEED credit pathways

    Completion Provides:

    • 1 AIA HSW/LU CE Hour (Course ID: GGBA09A)
    • 1 GBCI General Hour (ID: 0920033325)
    • Additional credits available (where applicable): AAA, AAPEI, AIBD, BOMI, EPP, FBPE PDH, OAA, OAQ, SAA