Structural Glazing in Viertel Zwei Facade

Vienna, Austria will now be home to “Viertel Zwei” (which translates to “Quarter Two”) - an exclusive living space covering 40,000 square metres, comprising modern office & residential buildings and spacious gardens. At the core of the quarter will be a 5,000 square metre lake, on which will levitate a part of the office building “Plus Zwei” (Plus Two), like an oversized block of glass.

The building, designed by Viennese architect Martin Kohlbauer, consists of 7,200 square metres of façade glazed with solar control glass, providing the interiors with natural light and protecting the excessive ingress of heat at the same time. The facade is a W90 panel design and, therefore, fulfils the “fire protection requirements W90 for non-load bearing exterior wall components” in order to prevent fire spreading from one storey to another.

Daylight and Solar Protection

The glass used on “Plus Zwei” fulfils the twin demands of aesthetics and functionality.. The energy-saving property of solar control glazing automatically lowers the operational costs of the building and protects the environment. The extremely low solar factor (g-value = 27% as per EN 410) prevents the interiors from heating up excessively on hot summer days, thereby reducing the costs for air-conditioning and eliminating the need for external mechanical shade systems. Nonetheless, a relatively large amount of daylight still floods the rooms (tL= 50%), so that electrical light is only needed fairly late into the day. During winters, the extremely low Ug-value of 1.1 W/m2K as per EN 673 provides effective heat insulation.

Source: http://www.nbmcw.com

Hurricane-Resistant Glass / Hurricane-Proof Glass

Building codes are changing rapidly to encompass architectural structures in coastal areas. One major element that buildings in coastal regions must have is an envelope for protection from potential hurricanes. All components of the building shell must be able to resist the effects of windborne debris as well as sustained turbulent winds lasting several hours. Hurricane Resistant Glass / hurricane proof glass is a type of glass that is becoming increasingly popular for this requirement.

Hurricane-resistant glass helps preserve the building envelope, keeping wind, rain, excess air pressure and noise out. Even when used in skylights, this glass does not shatter or break apart in case of a hurricane.

Hurricane proof glass can altogether eliminate the need for hurricane shutters. The cost of retrofitting an old building with this glass has a significant cost. Modern code requirements, which include hurricane shutters or similar protection for new houses in coastal areas, make the glass a more practical option at the time of construction. The best hurricane glass is similar to a car windshield, with a durable plastic-like layer sandwiched between two sheets of glass. The outside layers break, but the centre remains intact and prevents further damage.

Manufacturing Process

A method for producing hurricane-resistant glass, mainly includes the steps of: cutting and abrading the edges of a glass; feeding the glass into a tempering furnace and heating the glass to a critical state of the softening point; feeding the glass heated to a critical state of the softening point at a speed of 25-50 cm/s into a cooling chamber, to allow the glass to develop a surface compressive stress of not less than 150 MPa; etching the cooled glass with an etching solution; and rinsing surfaces of the glass.

Hurricane-resistant insulating glass

Hurricane-resistant insulating glass is made of heat strengthened low-E lites permanently bonded with one or more layers of durable PVB (polyvinyl butyral) resin sheeting. In exhaustive impact tests, broken glass fragments are adhered to the bonded plastic vinyl interlayer, reducing the risk of injury, shattering of glass and breaching the building envelope.

Modern Hurricane Proof Glass with P.E.T Films

Hurricane resistant glass with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film is a superior alternative to conventional hurricane resistant methods. There is also another kind of hurricane resistant glass which has a combination of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, components which improve impact resistance, safety, retention, energy efficiency, sound attenuation and UV blocking. In addition, if the glass incorporates a Low-E coating on one of the surfaces, it enhances solar performance by 25% compared to an uncoated glass laminate.

Points to be Remembered

When choosing the right hurricane resistant glass for your application, use the following checklist:

1. Determine the applicable building code and test method


2. Determine the required design pressure/wind load


3. Qualify the missile requirement - large and/or small missile


4. Identify the largest glass size


5. If using a tested or certified framing system, confirm the laminated glass qualified with the particular manufacturer's product


6. If not using a tested or certified frame, evaluate system design details, such as:
   
   
   
   
   1. Glazing method - conventional or structurally glazed
   
   
   2. Glass bite - Often large missile applications require a minimum edge engagement of 5/8" to augment performance.
   
   
   3. Anchorage and hardware requirements - typically large missile applications require an enhanced design.

“Reflections” – Glass Towers With Green Roofing

Master architect Daniel Libeskind has successfully completed construction of the very first ultra-green tower - “Reflections”, a waterfront habitat at Keppel bay, Singapore. The brilliance of the architecture of Reflections showcases Singapore as the home of world-class seafront residences.

Reflection covers a shoreline space of 750m, giving an unobstructed view to the waterfront, the Keppel club golf course and the lavish surroundings. Reflections is located in the southern bay of Singapore with six glass towers and a 11-villa apartment block which hosts 1,129 luxuries homes. The towers are crowned by lush green sky gardens on the sloping rooflines and are linked by sky bridges, providing pockets of open spaces and platforms with 360-degree views of the spectacular surrounds. The six glass towers range from 24-storey to 41-storey height, whereas the villa apartment blocks range from 6-storey to 8-storey.

Ar. Libeskind uses very different innovative design features for this spectacular residence to give each and every unit a unique shape. The floors of the residence look slanted due to the curved façade but in reality are flat units are with no balconies.

Reflections, with its many green credentials received the Green Mark Gold Award by the Building and Construction Authority in 2008.

Yas Hotel – Glass Panels For An Elegant Façade

The skyline of Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates is dotted with elegant buildings and super-tall skyscrapers that play the roles of corporate & commercial facilities, business towers, hotels, residences and so on. Yas Hotel recently made it to the list of among the most eye-catching architectural structures in Abu Dhabi by its differentially designed towers with glass on their exteriors.

The Yas Hotel is one of the main features of the ambitious 36-billion-dollar Yas Marina development and accompanying Formula 1 raceway circuit in Abu Dhabi. Yas Hotel is a 85,000-sqm complex of breath-taking structures, underneath the glass-and-steel garment of which, it offers visitors 500 rooms and a five-star array of facilities and amenities – eight restaurants, four bars, lavish recreational facilities including an 18-hole golf course and a 143-berth marina, and access to nearby attractions like the Ferrari World Theme Park.

Glass Panels

Yas Hotel consists of two conjoined 12-storey towers forming a T-intersection. These two towers are linked by a bridge over a racetrack and are covered in glass. A canopy made of a 217-meter expanse of sweeping, curvilinear forms constructed of steel and 5,800 pivoting diamond-shaped glass panels support the towers and bridge.

Grid shell

A ‘Grid-Shell’ visually connects and fuses the entire complex together while producing optical effects and spectral reflections that play against the surrounding sky, sea and desert landscape. The architecture as a whole “performs” as both an environmentally receptive solution as well as a visual spectacle.

During the daytime, the grid shell functions as an adjustable windscreen, assisting in thermal and ventilation control through its controlled reflectivity, along with offering a distinct biomorphic scaly texture. During the night, it converts the hotel into a massive light source and assumes a different kind of biomorphic form, akin to the graceful forms of luminescent jellyfish.

This project can claim global leadership in two respects: It is the first building ever constructed across a Formula 1 racetrack, and is reportedly the world's largest LED project to date. Between these two milestones, the auto races will probably grab more immediate attention, but the exterior is the Yas Hotel's truly revolutionary element.

Source: www.dezeen.com

Energy Efficient Solar Panels

The energy from the rays of the sun that can be converted to usable heat and electricity is referred to as solar energy. Solar energy is power derived from the rays of the sun. It is considered to be one, if not the most, environmentally friendly source of energy that can be used on earth. This solar energy can be converted into some other forms of energy and can be used for various applications. Solar panels harvest sunlight and actively convert it to electricity.Using solar panels is a great way to generate clean and renewable electricity from solar energy to power remote appliances, or even the average home. Having a solar panel energy system can be a great thing because it will allow you to save money on your energy costs. It can be very expensive to heat or cool your house so having a way to use the sun's energy can be very beneficial. Most of the things about using solar energy are positive except in some cases the cost can be expensive. Solar energy is used to reduce global warming at the same time saves lots of money.

Residential solar panels

Residential solar panels continue to be one of the largest trends in green building and energy conservation. Solar panels are quickly becoming one of the most affordable ways to lower utility costs for the homeowner.

Homes connected to the utility electrical grid are known as grid-tied homes or on-the-grid systems, while off-grid homes rely on batteries and need to be a safe distance from power lines. Most homeowners choose to work on the grid due to the added security from the utility company.
Residential solar energy systems still function on cloudy days by drawing upon backup electricity from the utility company (for on-the-grid systems), and the same is true during night hours. For off-the-grid systems, the panels are usually connected to a battery storage system as the backup power source and will extract energy if there is a deficiency that day.

Solar Cells

Solar panels are made up of number of solar cells. Solar Cells, or photovoltaic cells, are arranged in a grid-like pattern on the surface of the solar panel. These solar voltaic cells collect sunlight during the daylight hours and covert it into electricity. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the light source is unspecified. The field of research related to solar cells is known as photo voltaic.

Solar electric panels contain many photovoltaic cells electrically connected and packaged behind glass for mechanical protection and electrical insulation. The modules are usually connected together in an array and with other components such as a mounting frame and an electrical inverter (for on grid) or a charge controller and batteries (for off grid).

In addition to solar panels, a photovoltaic (PV) system requires a mounting structure to tilt panels toward the sun, an inverter to convert panel-generated direct current (DC) into appliance-friendly alternating current (AC), battery storage to compensate for unfavourable weather conditions, and a charge controller to regulate battery operation.

Two Forms of solar cells

There are two main forms of solar cells in existence today, and these are; "solar electricity panels" and "solar hot water panels". The two different technologies allow us to either generate electricity for our homes or to heat the water we use.

The combination of a solar hot water panel with other renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, or a home wind turbine can work quite well together in providing a source of cheap, clean, and renewable energy for our homes.

Solar Panel

Solar panels consist of modules that contain solar cells and convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. An inverter within the panel converts the DC power into alternating current (AC) electricity that is used to heat and cool the home, and also operate any home appliance or device.

Solar Panels are a form of active solar power. The term solar panel is used to describe two completely different technologies, both of which generate energy from sunlight, and both of which are packaged in the form of panels:

• a photovoltaic module is used to generate electricity


• a solar thermal collector is used to generate heat (generally hot water)

Solar panels are typically constructed with crystalline silicon, which is used in other industries (such as the microprocessor industry), and the more expensive gallium arsenide, which is produced exclusively for use in photovoltaic (solar) cells.

Other, more efficient solar panels are assembled by depositing amorphous silicon alloy in a continuous roll-to-roll process. The solar cells created from this process are called Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells, or A-si. Solar Panels constructed using amorphous silicon technology is more durable, efficient, and thinner than their crystalline counterparts

For very important solar projects, such as space probes that have to rely on solar energy, very-high efficiency solar cells are constructed from gallium arsenide by a process called molecular beam epitaxy. Solar cells constructed by this process have several p-n junction diodes, each designed to be maximally efficient at absorbing a given part of the solar spectrum. These solar panels are much more efficient than conventional types, but the process and materials involved make them far too expensive for everyday applications.

The newest solar panels function on the molecular or quantum level, and represent an exciting new technology coming into play. These solar panels are created by implanting carbon nanotubes or quantum dots into a treated plastic. Unlike silicon-based solar panels, these solar panels do not have to be constructed in a clean room, and therefore production costs are somewhat diminished.

Power production

In direct sunlight at the surface of the equator, a maximally efficient photovoltaic cell about 1/5m in diameter creates a current of approximately 2 amps at 2 volts, however, due to the Earth's atmospheric interference, terran solar panels will never perform as well as solar panels exposed directly to the sun's rays.

Solar hot water panel

Solar hot water panels are a means to harness the sun's energy in a unique way. Like traditional solar panels, solar hot water panels are placed in direct sunlight, oftentimes arrayed on rooftops. A solar hot water array often referred to as a solar hot water heater, uses the energy from the sun to heat a fluid, which is in turn used to move heat generated in the array to a heat storage vessel. The process starts by heating a body of sanitized water and storing it in a hot water cylinder. Next, solar hot water panels would be installed on the rooftop, each with a darkly-coated absorber plate complete with water circulation tubes.

The tubes carry the heated water from the solar water heater to a place where it can be used or stored. A heat exchanger released heat and circulates the cooled water back to the solar hot water array to be reheated. This cycle of heating, energy utilization, and cooling is begun anew with each sunrise and lasts throughout the day for the effective life of the solar hot water heater. These arrays are especially useful for businesses that utilize large quantities of hot water, such as the pictured Laundromat.

Solar hot water heaters are composed of a several hot water panel units, and can be fully automated systems.

Glazette’s First Expert Chat Session: A Summary

January 29th, 3 pm: TM Gopikrishnan & Subhrangsu Ghosh, Marketing and Technical Managers at Saint-Gobain Glass India hosted an Expert Chat Session, the first of its kind on Glazette.

The participation strength was fair, with 15 users online at any point in time between 3 and 5 pm on that Friday, shooting away their questions about Fire Safety Glass, its uses, applications, advantages, and so on. The managers found it rather hard to keep up; but did a good job nevertheless, encouraged by the volume and quality of questions!

The most active participants were architects, and it was heartening to see that fire safety, an aspect of building architecture that was not given due importance in the past, is now considered a hygiene factor during construction. This was evident by the kind of questions asked. The depth of knowledge about fire safety glass as well as other fire-resistant construction material was appreciable.

Questions included those about the duration of fire resistance offered by fire rated glass, the use of rubber and vinyl coverings for fire escape handrails, comparison between metal and glass fire doors, and so on. Vishwas, an architect with Neeraj Manchanda Architects in Delhi, was an enthusiastic and informed participant, from whom several questions came. Also part of the session was D Krishna Kumar, an engineer with CPWD.

Certain questions which were not relevant to the subject were also asked, those on LEED being among them. Though the fire glass experts were able to answer LEED-related questions to a certain extent, further questions were redirected to glazette.com.

New participants kept entering the chat room, and roughly 25 of them were part of the Expert Chat between 3 and 5 pm. The questions kept pouring in non-stop, and it was only at 4.30 pm that the experts got a breather when the speed and volume of questions started declining! The experts were patient and approachable, and had unquestionable and profound knowledge on the subject.

All in all, the Expert Chat Session was well-received by all parties involved. Glazette thanks Saint-Gobain Glass India, Mr. TM Gopikrishnan and Subhrangsu Ghosh, the portal members, visitors and the back office team for the success of the session.

Glazette will shortly be collecting feedback from the participants on various aspects of the session. From the opinions collected, Glazette shall strive to improve, innovate and use similar platforms for dissemination and exchange of knowledge and expertise on glass.

Bid for speedy completion of new Assembly green rating process

The consultant in charge of the green ratings for the new Assembly complex will request the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) to expedite the process of review of the green aspects of the project.

This would make way for speedy completion of the green rating process and announce the LEED certification during the inauguration of the Assembly building on March 13. “If the IGBC accepts the request to expedite the rating process, it will be definitely possible to announce the rating on March 13,” said Deepa Sathiaram of En3 Sustainability Solutions, the green consultant of the project. “A few specifications to be used for construction of the green building have to be documented. It will be completed shortly,” she added. A few interior materials for the building are still in the process of procurement, she said.

The building is likely to be the largest governmental green building in India. Special glazing work on the Assembly building is part of the green measures. It has been registered for rating under the category of ‘LEED India for New Construction,’ which is a green building rating system that helps to guide and design high-performance commercial buildings which include offices, retail and service establishments, institutional buildings and buildings of four or more habitable stories.

Software simulations are being prepared for energy and lighting calculation and analysis, she said. Calculations pertaining to water consumption in the building, test reports and data sheets for materials used in the green building and drawings for site related items will be readied shortly, said Ms. Sathiaram. After a formal audit of the building by IGBC the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification would be awarded.

SOURCE : THEHINDU