The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has released an updated trio of documents covering seismic movement test methods for fenestration and glazing systems on August 18, 2026, according to a Glass Canada report. The documents — AAMA 501.4, AAMA 501.6 and AAMA 501.7 — are now available in the FGIA online store. FGIA says AAMA 501.7 was last updated in 2017, while AAMA 501.4 and AAMA 501.6 were last updated in 2018.
What the three seismic test methods cover
Each document sets out a recommended test method for a different type of movement during seismic-related events. FGIA describes the three documents in its announcement:
- AAMA 501.4, Recommended Test Method for Lateral Inter-Story Movements (Drift) — provides a means of evaluating the performance of windows, window wall, curtainwall and storefront systems when subjected to specified horizontal displacements in the plane of the wall.
- AAMA 501.6, Recommended Dynamic Test Method for Determining the Seismic Lateral Inter-Story Movement Causing Glass Fallout — provides a means of determining the horizontal racking displacement amplitude of exterior wall system framing members that would cause fallout of representative architectural glass panels under controlled laboratory conditions.
- AAMA 501.7, Recommended Test Method for Vertical Inter-Story Movements — provides a means of evaluating the performance of windows, window walls, curtainwall and storefront wall systems when subjected to specified vertical displacements.
The three methods cover lateral drift, glass fallout from racking displacement, and vertical inter-story movement. The distinctions matter because different failure modes — glass fallout versus frame damage — require different laboratory setups and acceptance criteria.
Lateral drift: AAMA 501.4
AAMA 501.4 provides a means of evaluating the performance of windows, window wall, curtainwall and storefront systems when subjected to specified horizontal displacements in the plane of the wall. The method focuses on the inter-story drift that a building envelope experiences during seismic shaking, giving engineers and manufacturers a way to assess whether glazing assemblies can accommodate that movement without losing their integrity.
Glass fallout: AAMA 501.6
AAMA 501.6 provides a means of determining the horizontal racking displacement amplitude of exterior wall system framing members that would cause fallout of representative architectural glass panels under controlled laboratory conditions. This method is designed to identify the movement level at which glass panels are dislodged, a critical safety concern for post-earthquake building performance.
Vertical movement: AAMA 501.7
AAMA 501.7 provides a means of evaluating the performance of windows, window walls, curtainwall and storefront wall systems when subjected to specified vertical displacements. Vertical inter-story movement can affect structural connections and glass bite, and the method gives a procedure for evaluating those effects.
Alignment was the central change
The most significant change in this document issue is internal consistency. “The most important change in this document issue for AAMA 501.4, 501.6 and 501.7 is that all three are now in alignment with each other,” said Lothar Erkens (Winco Window Company), vice-chair of the FGIA Seismic and Wind-Induced Inter-Story Drift Review task group. “While AAMA 501.4 and 501.6 were split from a single document into two documents for a good reason, the need to keep these texts aligned with each other was important.”
Erkens’s comment points to the history behind the documents: AAMA 501.4 and AAMA 501.6 were previously a single document before being split. The split allowed each test method to develop its own detail, but it also created a need to keep the texts coordinated. FGIA’s update addresses that by bringing all three documents into alignment.
Alignment across the three documents matters because a laboratory performing lateral drift testing may need to compare results with glass fallout or vertical movement data. If the documents use inconsistent terminology or test parameters, that comparison becomes harder. FGIA’s update reduces that friction by ensuring the three recommended methods share a common structure.
What the documents do not say
The FGIA announcement does not list new seismic performance thresholds, specific acceptance criteria changes, or dates when the updated methods become mandatory. It also does not mention the National Building Code of Canada or CSA A440. The update is described as a release of recommended test methods, not a revision to building codes or Canadian standards.
For Canadian glazing professionals, that distinction is worth noting. Voluntary test methods can be referenced in project specifications or used for product development, but they do not change code requirements unless a code or standard explicitly adopts them.
Canadian context: NBC and CSA A440
Canadian manufacturers working in seismic zones also navigate the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) and Canadian fenestration standards such as CSA A440. The FGIA documents are separate from those Canadian documents, and the FGIA announcement does not state whether any of the three AAMA methods are referenced in Canadian codes or standards. Still, for Canadian glazing firms that test curtainwall, window wall or storefront systems for seismic performance, the aligned trio provides a common set of laboratory definitions to use alongside Canadian requirements.
Because the NBC sets seismic design requirements for buildings in Canada, product evaluations often rely on complementary test methods to demonstrate that glazing systems can accommodate inter-story drift. The updated AAMA methods offer a consistent technical reference for those evaluations without introducing new code obligations.
The National Building Code of Canada is the model code that provinces and territories adopt with modifications. CSA A440 covers the performance of windows and doors. Neither is mentioned in the FGIA announcement, but Canadian industry professionals routinely work with both. The updated AAMA methods do not replace Canadian requirements; they sit alongside them as voluntary procedures from an American industry alliance.
Availability and pricing
All three documents are available for purchase in the FGIA online store. According to FGIA, members can buy each document at a discounted rate of $25, while the non-member price is $70.
FGIA also notes that AAMA 501.4, AAMA 501.6 and AAMA 501.7, as well as other documents available from FGIA, may be purchased from the online store. The announcement directs readers to FGIAonline.org for more information about the alliance and its activities.
What the update means for Canadian glazing contractors
For contractors and specifiers, the update is less about new limits and more about a clearer testing framework. The three documents now speak the same language for lateral drift, glass fallout and vertical movement, which can simplify test planning and comparison across product types. The fact that the documents are recommended methods, rather than mandatory codes, means Canadian firms can use them as part of a broader compliance strategy without waiting for regulatory adoption.
The FGIA release does not quantify seismic risk or list Canadian regions where the test methods might be required. It does, however, give Canadian manufacturers and testing laboratories an updated set of procedures that align with the movement categories they already evaluate under the National Building Code of Canada and CSA A440 frameworks.