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Glass U-values – what are they?

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Glass U-values – what are they?

Glass U-values – what are they?

The insulating ability of a material is known as its “R-value.” An R-value describes how quickly a material will lose heat. U-value looks at heat loss differently. Instead of measuring how quickly something will lose heat, the U-value measures how well a material resists losing heat. The R-value and the U-value of a material measure opposite qualities.

The quality of insulation is measured using an R-value. The higher the value, the slower a material will lose heat. The insulating quality of glass is measured with a U-value. In Europe, U-values are also applied to walls. Knowing how well something insulates, or how quickly it will lose heat helps people to understand the energy costs associated with a material.

U-values describe heat transfer – whether heat is moving into or out of a building. The lower the U-value, the better the material will resist heat transfer. For controlling energy consumption, it’s important to control heat transfer. With regard to windows, all components of the window have a U-value. That means window glass has a U-value, but so does the window frame. The glazing on the glass has its own U-value. Materials with very different U-values that are used to make a unit like a window can reduce the unit’s overall ability to stop the transfer of heat. The more similar the U-value of a unit’s components, the more similar the U-value of the finished product will be. Glass has a low R-value, so by definition, it has a high U-value.

The “leakiest” part of a window is actually the window frame. Small windows end up with a high U-value (which is bad), because the frame – which is the weakest link – comprises a larger proportion of the window unit than the frame of a large window. That’s important to keep in mind. Glass isn’t a great insulator, but the window frame and the glazing actually have a bigger impact on the window’s energy efficiency.

Glass coatings can change the performance of glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint is one good example. Glassprimer™ glass paint is highly UV-resistant, which means that it can block the transmission of UV light waves, which tend to cause colors to fade, and can help reduce solar heat gain by reducing the overall transmission of the full spectrum of light.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Greener Leith , via Flickr.com

Glass coated hypodermic needle could ease pain

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Glass coated hypodermic needle could ease pain

Glass coated hypodermic needle could ease pain

No one likes getting shots, but a newly developed glass-coated hypodermic needle could reduce the amount of pain associated with getting shots or taking blood samples. Researchers at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), working with researchers from the University of Tokushima and the University of New Mexico have developed a hypodermic needle coated with metallic glass.

The researchers say that the metallic glass coating reduces pain when the needle is inserted and also improves the performance of the needle. According to researchers, metallic glass has certain properties that reduce the friction associated with the surface of the needle. Friction between the surface of the needle and the skin or other living tissue causes resistance, which in turn causes pain. Longer and larger needles cause more pain because the larger surface generates more friction upon insertion.

Friction doesn’t just cause pain upon when the needle is being inserted. Friction is also generated when the needle is withdrawn because typical metals have a natural surface grain. Movement in any direction causes tissue to “catch” on the surface grain.

Researchers say that applying a metallic glass coating to the needle reduces friction by 2/3rds when the needle is being inserted, and reduces friction by nearly 3/4ths when the needle is being withdrawn. In some experiments, friction was reduced by 80%.

Large-bore needles are typically lubricated because lubrication is known to reduce friction, and insertion pain. Smaller gauge needles are typically not lubricated; these needles are often used in dental procedures, suturing and other medical procedures. Metallic glass coatings could also be used to reduce friction in other non-medical applications, and are of interest to manufacturing and materials sciences engineers.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Alden Chadwick , via Flickr.com

What price glass?

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What price glass?

What price glass?

The current construction boom has had an impact on the price of glass, but industry experts are still divided as to what that will mean for new buildings on the drawing board. According to some analysts, the price of architectural glass has increased by 25% to 50% in the last decade.

The majority of new “signature” commercial construction projects make heavy use of architectural glass, but the demand for glass has outstripped supply, leading to steady price increases. About one-third of the float-glass plants in the United States closed during the economic downturn that began in the mid-2000’s. The loss of production capacity is contributing to delays and cost increases for architectural glass.

The result has been a consistent, annual increase in the price of glass by about 6%-8%. Suppliers are also looking for alternative sources for exterior glass, including imports from other parts of the world. Glass has traditionally been produced locally because it is heavy and expensive to transport. Shipping glass in from distant producers both increases the cost and causes delays.

Some glass manufacturers are looking to acquire additional glassmaking plants, both shuttered and in active production to address the issue of product availability. In the meantime, construction managers are advised to plan ahead for their glass needs and to place orders for glass well in advance of their installation schedules.

Glass is particularly attractive as a construction material because it can be fabricated off-site and shipped to the building under construction. In addition, it’s inexpensive, compared to other traditional façade materials like brick or granite. Glass buildings also permit more interior floor space than buildings that are designed to use traditional building materials.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: ML Duong , via Flickr.com

Glass dome to highlight museum

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Glass dome to highlight museum

Glass dome to highlight museum

Bentonville, AK is known as the home of Walmart, but the city will soon be sporting a new attraction. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will welcome a new structure – a geodesic dome with 61 glass “eyes.” The “Fly’s Eye Dome” will sit on the museum’s north lawn, near a house built by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The geodesic dome was designed by Buckminster Fuller, who was inspired by a drawing of a fly’s eye. The dome is one of three designed by Fuller, and was previously displayed in Los Angeles as part of the city’s Bicentennial celebration in 1981. It was most recently displayed in Toulouse, France in 2013. The museum acquired the dome as a permanent exhibition.

The structure is made from glass and fiberglass. The materials appealed to Fuller because they were both lightweight and strong. The dome was the largest of three prototypes built by Fuller. Two smaller domes, measuring 12 feet and 24 feet were also constructed. Fuller initially designed the dome as a cost-effective, lightweight and strong housing solution. According to Fuller, a geodesic dome would cost less to build and transport, and could be erected quickly.

The museum also acquired Fuller’s notes on the project, and has shared those documents with the University of Arkansas. Although the prototype domes were built, they weren’t fully functional homes, since they lacked a viable design for ventilation. Fuller also hadn’t developed a plan for the dome’s interior layout, so the prototype spaces are wide open.

Like the Frank Lloyd Wright home, the Museum says that it acquired the Fly’s Eye Dome as an example of “uniquely American architecture.”

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Phillip Pessar , via Flickr.com

Gorilla glass goes for a car ride

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Gorilla glass goes for a car ride

Gorilla glass goes for a car ride

Corning, which manufactures Gorilla Glass, the super-tough glass for mobile electronic devices, has developed a specialized version of the glass that could end up in your next new car. The company says its Gorilla Glass for Automotive division is working with a number of auto manufacturers to deliver a superior glass product that’s specially designed for automobiles.

Glass is naturally heavy, but Corning says that the automotive version of its signature tough product is lightweight and will support manufacturers’ desire to incorporate displays into the driver’s visual space. The company says it will offer Gorilla Glass for both structural and interior automotive applications.

Automakers are under significant pressure to improve gas mileage, and one way to do that is by reducing the weight of the vehicle. According to Corning, automotive Gorilla Glass is one-third lighter than conventional auto glass. Depending upon the vehicle size and its design, windows can add 100-150 pounds to the finished weight of a vehicle. By reducing the weight of the vehicle, automakers can not only improve gas mileage, but also reduce the vehicle’s emissions.

Reducing the weight of the glass also has other design and performance benefits. Reduced weight can improve acceleration and vehicle handing. Corning also says that windshields made of Gorilla Glass can eliminate 50% of the vehicle glass breakage that occurs today. That could reduce the total cost of ownership of a vehicle, and could also reduce comprehensive insurance costs for drivers.

Corning also says that automotive Gorilla Glass is clearer than conventional auto glass. The clarity of the glass also enables automakers to incorporate larger, brighter head-up displays. In addition, Gorilla Glass can be more easily formed into curves and 3-D shapes, allowing the designers enormous flexibility in displays, controls and the outward appearance of the vehicle. The company also says that its glass will provide better, more responsive touch controls.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Corning

Solar energy farms halted amid flying glass concerns

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Solar energy farms halted amid flying glass concerns

Solar energy farms halted amid flying glass concerns

Construction on a massive solar energy farm in Moyock, North Carolina has prompted Currituck County officials to temporarily halt new solar farm permits amid concerns about flying glass and other potential hazards that could arise from hurricanes, tropical storms and other inclement weather events. When complete, the 2,000 acre Moyock solar farm will be the largest array in the Eastern United States, and will extend more than 2 miles.

Residents in the area around the array are concerned about the potential for injury from flying debris, and the potential for exposure to toxic materials from the array. The farm, which is being built by Ecoplexus, says the residents’ concerns are misplaced. The Moyock array is the second Ecoplexus solar site in Currituck County. The company was denied permits for the construction of a third site last year in Grandy, but says that its solar panels do not contain toxic materials in any significant amount.

The Moyock solar farm will generate enough power to supply 10,000 homes, and will generate an additional $300,000 in tax revenues for the area. The plan to build solar farms in the area is not without significant opposition. The arrays under construction occupy former farmland, which some believe should be left intact. The Grandy project called for the conversion of a former golf course to solar energy production. That project was turned down after nearby residents, who opposed the new array, discovered an ordinance that prevented the proposed site from being used for energy production.

North Carolina is the second-largest producer of solar energy in the United States. A number of solar arrays have been built in eastern North Carolina in recent years, thanks in part to the availability of inexpensive land that offers significant sun exposure. Additionally, a state law requires 12.5% of the state’s power to come from renewable energy sources. The county says it will resolve its concerns about solar arrays within the next two months, but will not issue permits for new solar arrays in the meantime.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Greens MP , via Flickr.com

Iconic glass structures – Willis Tower

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Iconic glass structures – Willis Tower

Iconic glass structures – Willis Tower

One of the world’s “can’t-miss” glass and steel buildings in the Willis Tower in Chicago. Originally named the Sears Tower, the building was constructed between 1970 and 1973 to provide office space for the Sears Roebuck & Co., the world’s largest retailer at that time. Sears vacated the Sears Tower entirely by 1995, however the company maintained the naming rights to the building until 2003.

The Willis Tower was the world’s tallest building for 25 years, and is the tallest building in North America. It is currently the second-tallest building in the world, and the world’s third-tallest structure. (The CN Tower in Toronto is the second-tallest structure in the world.) The tower was designed by Skidmore Owing and Merrill, and was the first structure to use the “bundled tube” design, which combined nine independent interior steel “tubes” that shared a single exterior superstructure. Most super-tall buildings use this basic design or a modification of it to achieve both height and stability.

The Willis Tower is 1,451 feet tall and offers 108 stories of office space. Television antennas on the roof extend the overall height of the building to 1,730 feet. Sears commissioned the building’s construction, although the tower – when complete – contained far more space than the retailer itself needed. Sears initially planned a smaller tower, but added floors to the design to provide opportunities for other tenants to lease space in the high-profile building. Sears sold the building to a Boston-based property management firm in 1994 and completely vacated the building in 1995.

In 1997, the building was sold to the same company that owned the CN Tower, and was the subject of a foreclosure in 2003. The name of the building was changed in 2009 to its current identity, the Willis Tower. The Willis Group, a UK-based insurance broker will hold the naming rights until at least 2024. The building was most recently sold in 2015 and the new owners have a number of plans to redevelop the property. Notably, the Willis Tower has never been fully occupied. It also survived a plan to paint the outside of the tower silver at a cost of $50 million. According to the owners at that time, the silver paint would have made the building more energy-efficient.

The Willis Tower has more than 16,000 tinted glass windows that give the building its signature bronze appearance. Six window-washing robots that are mounted on the roof clean the glass on all 108 floors. It also has an observation deck on the building’s 103rd floor. In 2009, four retractable glass-floored observation decks were added to the building that extend outward by about four feet.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Rob Young , via Flickr.com

Is glass coming to a concrete near you?

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Is glass coming to a concrete near you?

Is glass coming to a concrete near you?

As cities across the United States struggle with the question of glass recycling, some companies are envisioning a new future for old bottles and jars. Google and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation teamed up in 2010 to examine “circular economies.” A circular economy is one in which materials are used and re-used in ways that limit the need for truly raw materials.

One area that the MacArthur Foundation examined was concrete. Concrete is a common building material, but it has some environmental downsides. Cement – a primary component of concrete – generates a lot of CO2 during its production. Various concrete mixtures can also contain toxic heavy metals like cadmium, arsenic and lead. These toxic inclusions come from fly ash and slag, which are sometimes used in concrete mixtures as a substitute for some of the cement.

Ground glass is being considered as a substitute for fly ash, which is in short supply. Fly ash is a residue generated by coal-fired power plants. No one’s building coal fired power plants today, and as more plants convert to natural gas, the supply of fly ash dwindles further. At the same time, the demand for concrete is rising, so finding an acceptable substitute for fly ash is a priority.

Substituting glass for fly ash could solve a couple of problems. First, it could create a viable market for recycled glass. That’s big because so many cities struggle with glass recycling, and it could remove some of the 8 million tons of container glass from US landfills every year. Second, it could reduce the demand for cement, which could in turn reduce cement-related carbon emissions significantly. Each ton of cement that’s produced releases a ton of carbon into the atmosphere.

Right now, using glass powder (called pozzolan) in place of fly ash would increase the price of concrete slightly – less than 5% – but it would decrease the carbon footprint of concrete to about 10% of its current size by reducing demand for cement. It would also eliminate the need to import fly ash from other places, like China and South America. The Foundation estimates that a pozzolan plant needs about 40,000 tons of container glass each year to keep up with the demand for ground glass, and multiple pozzolan plants would be needed to meet the annual demand for concrete. That’s still significantly less than the amount of glass that gets recycled, but concrete production offers a positive market for recycled glass – something that has so far been hard to come by.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Sparkle Motion, via Flickr.com

Smog-eating glass coating could freshen cities

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Smog-eating glass coating could freshen cities

Smog-eating glass coating could freshen cities

Globally, scientists are concerned with the increase in carbon in the atmosphere as the result of human activity. As they look for ways to reduce greenhouse gases, a new – and somewhat fanciful – approach to cleaning up the atmosphere is emerging. Specially coated smog-eating glass could help reduce carbon in the air around buildings in urban areas.

The notion of a smog-eating coating isn’t fanciful. It exists today. The fanciful part of this equation is the idea that the coated glass could be attached to a 3-mile-high building. Someday. If materials engineering company Arconic has its very futuristic way. Arconic recently offered up its homage to The Jetsons, envisioning what a futuristic building might include in 2062 – 100 years after The Jetsons first hit the airwaves. But could a 3-mile high building be built? What would it look like?

The tallest building in the world currently is Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It checks in at 2,717 feet – just a hair over ½ mile high. Today’s tallest buildings test the limits of current construction methods and materials, so a 3-mile tall building would require more than just a few new design ideas.

The smog-eating coating isn’t one of them, though. Arconic’s hydrophilic Eco-Clean coating exists today and has been on the market since 2011. It attracts pollutants with the help of light and water vapor. Once on the building’s surface, the offending particles are washed to the ground. A large-scale implementation may be one approach to cleaning up the urban landscape.

The company has some other ideas about how to get closer to the 3-mile tower, including multi-functional windows and 3-D printing. That’s right – the company doesn’t discount the possibility of 3-D printing a building – or at least parts of it – and buildings that generate most or all of their own energy. Their futuristic vision is based on technologies that are either available today or are in development.

One coating technology that’s available today is Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially engineered to bond permanently to glass. It can be used in interior or exterior applications, and can be tinted to match virtually any palette from any major paint manufacturer. In addition to decorative uses, the paint can be used to help control light and heat.

GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jay Peeples, via Flickr.com

BIPV and photovoltaic glass

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BIPV and photovoltaic glass

BIPV and photovoltaic glass

Even if you’ve never heard the term BIPV, you’ll probably understand its impact. Building-integrated photovoltaics are an up-and-coming element of new building construction. Its companion term – building-applied photovoltaics (BAPV) – is used in relation to existing construction. Together they encompass a wide range of glass and other components that replace conventional construction materials that you’d normally find in the building envelope.

BIPV are made for roof, façade and skylight installations. They offer the best economic advantage when they’re installed as part of initial construction. Increasingly, commercial buildings are being designed with energy-efficiency and sustainability in mind. In some cases, a BIPV installation is required by local building codes. In other cases, building owners who are seeking LEED certification use BIPV to help meet certification requirements.

As glass coatings and other technological improvements have been developed, the cost of incorporating BIPV has fallen. In addition, their efficiency has increased, which makes them more attractive from an operational perspective.

BAPV components are also attractive. Many older buildings are being retrofitted with high-efficiency photovoltaics to support local power consumption, reduce the cost of operation, or generate income. Energy-efficient retrofits also make commercial spaces more attractive, and may allow building owners to claim tax credits or rebates.

BIPV is expected to play a major role in European countries where Zero Energy Building (ZEB) targets are in place. Photovoltaic adoption in commercial buildings in the United States has lagged, however. The implementation of zero net-energy buildings is likely to gain traction here as power companies attempt to improve the efficiency of their existing plants.

Novel glass coatings and new photovoltaic designs are likely to increase the efficiency of BIPV components. That will reduce the cost for initial installation, as well as the cost of retrofitting existing construction. In addition, coatings like Glassprimer™ glass paint can also help reduce heat buildup while still permitting the transmission of visible light.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Tai Viinikka , via Flickr.com