Architects Get Industry Education

The Architects' Guide to Glass & Metal, along with Edgetech IG and J.E. Berkowitz, sponsored a half-day Architects' Educational Program in Schaumburg on Tuesday, December 9. During the event, attendees heard three AIA-accredited presentations.

In one of them, Mike Nicklas, architectural sales and marketing manager for J.E. Berkowitz, Pedricktown, N.J., discussed glass fabrication and design issues.

His list of design issues included aesthetics, LEED, energy, safety, wind and snow loads, thermal stress, sound attenuation, constructability, availability and cost. Aesthetics include color, indoor and outdoor reflectance, visible light transmission, the surrounding environment and quality measures. Nicklas recommended doing a full-size mockup to be sure the aesthetics are correct.

He also discussed decorative PVB interlayers, which are designed to give architects and designers more flexibility in fulfilling their design visions.

Nicklas said that sound attenuation is one of the most important factors in design today. He explained how glass functions in controlling sound. "There are a lot of options in design for this," he said.

"You have to make sure that what you design can actually be built," Nicklas said in discussing constructability. "Find out what the capabilities are of your suppliers to be certain they can do what you want." He pointed out that heat soaking is becoming more popular in the U.S. "It has been required in Europe," he explained. With this process, the glass goes through a ramping up phase, a holding time of two hours at 290 degrees Celsius and a ramping down phase. This reduces the probability of a unit breaking spontaneously. It is being used in a lot of glass rail applications and point-supported curtainwalls he said.

In discussing energy efficiency, Nicklas explained the role of warm-edge airspacers in insulating glass construction.

This subject was reviewed in more detail by the next speaker, Joe Erb, product manager for Edgetech IG, Cambridge, Ohio.

Erb said his learning objectives were to make attendees understand current spacer product weakness (materials used historically are not as effective in heat transfer), the meaning of warm edge (more energy efficient insulating glass), how warm edge is accomplished (by materials and technology) and its benefits (higher thermal performance).

Currently 90 percent of the market utilizes warm-edge technology, Erg pointed out. This figure was contrasted with 1990 when only 15 percent of the market was warm edge. Window companies have driven this growth in the residential market with the adaptation of Energy Star ratings.

He pointed out that according to predictions by 2010 approximately 10 percent ($23 billion) of construction starts will incorporate some aspect of green and that by next year 80 percent of corporate American expects to be engaged in green at least 16 percent of the time and 20 percent expect to be engaged 60 percent of the time.

He then went through a number of projects that incorporate warm-edge and other energy efficient technologies. "I want you to see that this is actually being used and has proven successful," Erb told attendees. "It's a technology that has been utilized for 20 years and has a proven record of success."

Debra Levy gave a Glass Association of North America (GANA) presentation on the types of glass and their architectural uses.

This included pattern glass, tempered glass and laminated glass. She also listed industry sources which might provide information for architects or answers to their questions.

Not receiving your own FREE copy of the Architects' Guide to Glass and Metal e-newsletter?
CLICK HERE to subscribe today.

Not receiving your own FREE copy of the Architects' Guide to Glass and Metal magazine?
CLICK HERE to subscribe to Architects' Guide to Glass & Metal magazine.