Glass Structure. There are numerous structural glass systems offered by various suppliers that open up vast possibilities for architects, allowing them to create a complete glass envelope for buildings with frameless façades on any plane. Support structures, located internally or externally, can use glass mullions, a conventional steel construction or tension structure designs, to be as subtle or dominant as appropriate.

Glass systems offer many interesting and varied architectural solutions. Pilkington Profilit™ allows designers and specifiers to transform courtyards into cosy interiors, enclose private and public outdoor areas under glass roofs and build stunning glass façades. We have a network of specialists and accredited installers who can provide all the support that architects and designers require during their planning and design process.

The ability to create larger and more impressive glass structures over the years has developed in line with technological and engineering improvements, and arguably one of the most significant architectural innovations of modern times has been the development of structural glazing systems such as Pilkington Planar™ systems offered by NSG Group. These systems offer architects previously unimaginable flexibility to create buildings that appear to have been constructed using almost nothing ...

The main constituent of Flat Glass is SiO 2 (silica sand). This has a high melting temperature in the region of 1700 degrees C and its state at this temperature is like syrup on a very cold day. The basic building block of silica has a tetrahedral pyramid shape with silicon at its centre linked symmetrically to four oxygen atoms at its corners: it has the chemical formula SiO 4 and is negatively charged.

The creation of a glass façade in a residential house allows glass to be used in large uninterrupted areas creating consistent attractive surface. Glass panes can be installed in a system based on aluminium or steel profiles or as a point fixed structural glazing system where conventional metal framing is eliminated and the glass is mechanically fixed.

Clear glass is a popular choice but other glass options are not excluded. Entrance canopies are overhead glazing by definition and the selection of an impact resistant durable product is essential. The common forms are framed single glass using either Pilkington Optilam™ or Pilkington Optifloat™ THS (toughened heat soaked glass). Another fixing method is frameless bolted toughened glass either supported from below or above with relatively lightweight struts or wires.

The glass is available in a variety of colours and textures with varying translucency, allowing for the passage of natural light without the loss of privacy. Pilkington Profilit™ is energy-efficient, provides excellent sound reduction and is one of the most cost-efficient glass wall systems available. It can be single or double shelled.

The technical advisory service can help with four edge supported systems and stair treads supported along the long edges. For novel designs and bolted fixings you may need to employ the services of a structural engineer to ensure the glass is operating within its stress limits. Care has to be taken with the finished surface to avoid slipping.

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In glass, if the tensile stress is high enough cracks in the material may start to grow and the crack may keep growing until the glass fractures completely. This is unlike metals, where fracture can be prevented by combining crack tip shielding with crack tip blunting, which helps reduce the concentration of stress at the crack tip and makes ...