Projecting balconies with glass balustrades characterise many residential buildings. Though, the architectural quality of glass balustrades is being lowered by diagonal tensile rods wherever cantilevered balconies cannot be realised. The project team explores the load-bearing potential of a glass balustrades at the side of the balco-ny to be used as a bracing element. A linear adhesive bond connects the glass at the bottom to the balcony platform and another bond line at the top connects the handrail. A complex program of tests proof the concept of design. This paper focuses on the test of life-size specimens under the soft body impact. The test results are compared to FEA using a simplified spring model for the adhesive. The numerical analysis determines the rel-evant stresses and deformations of the glass and the adhesive joints. The component tests and the FEA con-firm the usability of the construction as a barrier glazing.