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Manchester City FC to build glass tunnel

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Manchester City FC to build glass tunnel

Manchester City FC to build glass tunnel

If you’re a Manchester City soccer fan, you may be able to get a closer look at your favorite players, thanks to a new glass tunnel being constructed as part of a renovation at the club’s home Etihad Stadium. The renovation designs are largely finished, and the construction will take place between seasons. The new glass tunnel will debut at the start of the 2017-18 Premier League season.

MCFC Borrows Glass Tunnel From Dallas Cowboys


The glass tunnel at the Etihad is thought to be the first players’ entrance of its type in Europe, but its’ not the first of its kind. The Dallas Cowboys use a similar glass tunnel to enter AT&T Stadium. In addition to the glass tunnel, the renovation plans include a glass executive lounge for fans who are willing to pay the price to see their favorite players preparing for the game. That’s also an idea borrowed from “America’s Team.”

Man City fans will be able to see not only their hometown heroes, but also the visiting team. That prospect may not sit well with visitors, some of whom already complain about television cameras in the tunnel before and after the game, and between halves.

The strategy works for the Dallas Cowboys and will work for Manchester City. That’s because the teams depend upon forging a close relationship between their fans and the players. Giving fans access, including behind-the-scenes looks at the players and the facilities resonates well with the fans, and glass plays a big role in creating that connection.

Glass can be used to create a closeness, both in residential and commercial spaces. Glass walls can divide large spaces, while still preserving their “open” quality. In addition, glass can be decorated according to any color scheme. Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially engineered to create a permanent bond with glass without delaminating, fading or chipping over time. Glassprimer™ glass paint is designed to perform even in tough conditions like direct sunlight and high humidity. It can also be tinted to match the paint palette of any major paint manufacturer.

If you’d like to find some glass inspiration for your next project, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: SteHLiverpool, via Flickr.com

 

Glass elevator proposed for aquarium

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Glass elevator proposed for aquarium

Glass elevator proposed for aquarium

Napier National Aquarium in Napier, New Zealand is considering a massive expansion. Part of the plan could include a glass elevator that takes visitors below the waterline to observe and explore the sea in a replicated environment. The plan calls for the creation of an 80-foot deep controlled underwater coastline habitat, similar to those surrounding the country.

Glass elevator only part of aquarium’s glass plans

The glass elevator is still in the drawing stages, but it would be part of a broad expansion that would give the aquarium the largest, deepest research-display tanks in the world. The Napier City Council has allocated $50,000 to a feasibility study for the project. The national aquarium is supported by the New Zealand government, but the City of Napier is advancing the expansion proposal.

In addition to the glass elevator, the plan calls for glass-covered walkways that waves can wash over, and tours in a glass bottomed boat. The goal is to create a world-class research environment, while maintaining a highly visible and desirable visitor attraction. Some of the proposal’s supporters believe that the upgrades could elevate the profile of the National Aquarium to attract world-renowned oceanographic researchers.

The aquarium’s research programs are focused on conservation, and that will not change if the upgrades are adopted and funded. The upgrade to the National Aquarium would be enabled by massive improvements planned for roads and other local infrastructure.

The ability to see the workings of the habitat through glass is essential to the Aquarium’s visitor education plans, and to the research goals for the facility. Once the feasibility study has been completed, officials will better know the price tag for their underwater vision.
If you’re looking for a little above-ground inspiration for working with glass surfaces, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Shazwan, via Flickr.com

Brewers tackle glass recycling question

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Brewers tackle glass recycling question

Brewers tackle glass recycling question

Much has been made of the glass recycling dilemma lately. Some brewers aren’t waiting to find out how the glass recycling story ends. Instead, they’ve joined forces to help ensure that glass recycling continues despite the cost.

Glass recycling highlights glass benefits

Bottlers are interested in recycling glass because it costs them less to recycle bottles than it does to make bottles from new materials. Lower energy costs mean lower operating costs. This in turn means better profits and an improved ability to tolerate small changes in the cost of production. The recycled content of some container glass is 95% or more, but that typically doesn’t happen in the United States.

About 30% of the container glass in the US actually makes it into the recycling stream. The number could be higher, but many recyclers choose to pulverize the glass and use it for landfill cover instead of truly recycling it.

About 20 major companies that use glass packaging have come together to help ensure the stream of recyclable glass. The US Glass Recycling Coalition consists of consumer goods manufacturers, glass manufacturers, waste and recycling operators, and trade organizations like the Glass Packaging Institute.

The first priority for the coalition is to create, implement and encourage industry-wide best practices that help improve the amount of container glass that makes it into (and out of) the recycling process. One of the first “best practices” is to sort glass out of the recycling stream immediately, instead of waiting to remove it at the end of the sorting process. Removing the glass immediately saves wear and tear on the sorting equipment, decreases the likelihood of breakage, and increases the amount of recyclable glass that gets forwarded to glass recyclers. The long-term goal of the recycling coalition is to reduce energy consumption and to help avoid material shortages in the future.

Glass recycling is part of the growing trend toward using glass. Glass is an exceptionally durable and versatile material for both packaging and decoration. If you’d like some glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Amber and Eric Davila, via Flickr.com

Energy efficient glass is on the way

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Energy efficient glass is on the way

Energy efficient glass is on the way

Architects have always struggled with windows. In ancient buildings, the trick was to make the window big enough to admit light, and not so big that it allowed too much heat (or rain, or snow) to get into the building. Then came glass.

Windows key to energy efficient buildings

Single pane windows were the norm, but it should come as no surprise that glass is to blame for about 50% of a building’s heat loss, and about 90% of a building’s heat gain. Sadly, the heat loss comes in the winter, and the heat gain arrives in the summer. Double pane windows can help resist changes in internal temperature, but they’re plagued with their own set of problems.

Window frames warp over time, opening large gaps around the window. Seals between glass break, causing the insulating gas to escape. Once this happens, moisture accumulates between the panes, and the insulating value of double pane windows is lost.

Controlling the transfer of heat between the exterior and the interior is essential in today’s construction. High quality replacement windows can reduce energy consumption by close to 30%, so there’s definitely an advantage to gaining energy efficiency.

The next evolution of construction glass is likely to be “smart glass.” Smart glass is also called tunable glass, because nanoparticles embedded in the glass can orient themselves when a small electrical current is applied. The current causes the window to become opaque virtually instantly, and allows better control of both light transmission and heat gain or loss.

If window replacement isn’t part of your plan, you can still employ strategic heat and light control by using Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint provides coverage for about $1 per square foot, and comes in virtually any color. Glassprimer™ glass paint can still permit light transmission, while providing exceptional UV resistance.

If you’d like 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: Thomas Brown, via Flickr.com

Is This The Perfect Wine Glass?

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Last month, we featured the “perfect” beer glass – a glass with a built-in channel to help produce the perfect aroma and head. Today, we present the perfect wine glass. In the case of this glass, “perfect” may be synonymous with spill-proof. SuperDuperStudio, a design studio in San Francisco, used traditional Italian and Scandinavian glass blowing techniques to arrive at what it calls The Saturn Wine Glass.

Hand-shaped molten glass

The glass is handmade, and is hand-shaped in its molten state before it’s blown into its final form with the help of a mold. After molding, the glass is annealed overnight, which allows the glass to cool slowly to relieve stress. This also helps it keep its shape and toughens the finished product. Finally, the perfect wine glass is cut and polished.

If you’ve ever tried to clean up a wine stain, you may have a better appreciation for the perfection of the Saturn Wine Glass. Now, what’s “perfect” for white wine may not be perfect for red wine. Fortunately, the designers at SuperDuperStudio have created two different glasses – one for each kind of wine.

In case you’re wondering what the difference between a red and white wine glass is, consider this. Red wine glasses are typically taller and wider than white wine glasses are. The reason has to do with the wine. Red wine is more complex than white wine, and requires a roomier glass to allow the flavors and aromas to blend perfectly. In either case, the Saturn Wine Glass won’t let you spill either variety.

The glasses are stackable, which allows them to sit more compactly in cupboards and on bar shelves. They’re lead-free, but don’t put them in your dishwasher. Instead, give them the hand-washing treatment and they’ll be yours for a lifetime.

You can find more information about The Saturn Wine Glass here. If you’re looking for more glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our website. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Iconic Glass Structures – The Great Glasshouse

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Iconic Glass Structures – The Great Glasshouse

Iconic Glass Structures – The Great Glasshouse

The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales is the largest single-span glasshouse in the world. The structure is about 72,000 square feet, most of which is covered by the dome. The 785 panels in the glass dome are operable, and are computer-controlled to optimize solar heat gain for the thousands of endangered plant species inside.

Glasshouse is home to endangered plants

The Great Glasshouse is home to endangered species from six regions of the world, including North America, Australia, South Africa, South America, the Mediterranean and Europe. The Garden’s collection of Mediterranean plants is the largest in the world, outside of natural growth in the Mediterranean itself.

The Great Glasshouse was designed by Foster + Partners, an architectural design firm in the UK. The Great Glasshouse is built into the hills of Carmarthenshire, Wales, and rises among them. The dome is situated on a concrete foundation that is covered by turf. Underground pathways provide access to the dome and the public areas underneath.

The dome was built to be sustainable, and is heated in the winter with a wood-burning biomass furnace. The dome also features a rainwater collection system that supplies “gray water” for irrigation and for the facility’s restrooms. The septic waste is treated onsite and returned safely to the ground.

The frame of the Great Glasshouse is tubular steel, and the panels employ an aluminum glazing system. The central arches of the dome rise perpendicular to the base, and the side arches rise on progressively steeper angles to create the dome’s elliptical shape.

The Great Glasshouse is open year round. The climate inside the dome is controlled to match the natural environment of the plants inside. All of the plants inside the dome share similar environmental needs, but are grouped in sections, according to their places of origin.

The Great Glasshouse is one example of the power of glass in construction. If you’re looking for some glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Charles Stirton , via Flickr.com

Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

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Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

Glass bottomed boat tours shipwrecks

If you’re looking for something interesting to do on vacation, consider planning a visit to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve in Alpena, MI. While you’re there, book yourself on a boat tour of Great Lakes shipwrecks. Given the nature of shipwrecks, you might wonder what you can see from a boat. The sanctuary offers tours using a glass bottomed boat, so you’ll be able to see plenty.

Glass bottomed boat eliminates distortion

There are thousands of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary hosts about 200 of them. More than half of the wrecks in the TBNMS are historically significant. The sanctuary received its designation in 2000, and has since been expanded to cover 4,300 square miles of Lake Huron. The TBNMS is one of 13 areas designated as underwater preserves in the State of Michigan. On shore, visitors can learn about the lakes and shipwrecks in the preserve at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.

Water in the area is very clear and in many spots in the sanctuary the water is shallow, so the glass bottomed boat allows visitors to see the wrecks clearly. Glass bottomed boats give visitors a better, more clear view of the shipwrecks because they eliminate the distortion that occurs when looking directly into the water from the surface.

Shipping was and is a major mode of transportation for both raw materials and finished goods in the Great Lakes region, so the majority of shipwrecks involve commercial liners and transports. Although many of the wrecks in the sanctuary are documented, the area still holds a number of undiscovered wrecks. These ships were known to have been lost in the vicinity, but have not yet been rediscovered.

Many of the wrecks in the sanctuary date to the 18th and 19th centuries, although there are some 20th century wrecks. One of the most recent wrecks, the Nordmeer, was lost in shallow water in 1966 after the pilot made a navigational error. Although the owners intended to refloat the boat, a storm destroyed the hull, so the boat was abandoned as-is in the sanctuary.

A glass bottomed boat tour may not be in your future, but you can still take advantage of glass as a decorating surface in a residential or commercial space. If you’re looking for some glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory , via Flickr.com

New Viking stadium glass bad for birds?

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New Viking stadium bad for birds?

New Viking stadium bad for birds?

US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is the brand new home of the Minnesota Vikings, but some bird enthusiasts think the stadium could be a death trap. Last month, officials from the Minnesota Sports Facility Authority approved the expenditure of $300,000 to find the answer to that question. Experts are torn, however, on the right course of action, should the stadium’s towering glass wall be found dangerous to flying creatures.

Fritted glass debate will rage until 2019

US Bank Stadium features about 200,000 square feet of glass, which the National Audubon Society believes could be responsible for the deaths of about 1,000 birds per year. Birds don’t see glass and are prone to flying directly into it. In addition, reflections of the sky in the glass can cause disorientation among birds, resulting in an increased number of injuries and bird deaths. Birds also use the nearby Mississippi River as a navigational aid. Aviary experts fear that the stadium’s north and west walls, and its large glass doors will cause significant harm to local species.

The MSFA will begin the study immediately, and will monitor the number of bird deaths that occur as a result of the building through 2018. They are expected to render a decision about the glass in 2019. Since 2012, critics have asked the MSFA to consider using bird-safe glass, which is etched or decorated, to help birds “see” the glass as a solid object. The MSFA, which was responsible for the construction and operation of the stadium cited cost overruns and construction delays as its reason for vetoing “fritted” glass. According to the MSFA, the fritted glass would have inflated the construction costs by $25M-$60M. According to estimates provided by other sources, the addition of fritted glass would have raised the price of the stadium by about $1.1M. The estimated final cost of the stadium exceeds $1 billion.

The decision stands in contrast to the position of the Minneapolis City Council, which voted in 2014 to request that the MSFA include fritted glass in the stadium’s design. According to the MSFA, the glass did not pose any significant issues for birds during construction. The MSFA is also working with Minnesota-based 3M to develop and test films that could be applied to the glass to make the windows more visible to birds.

Paints and coatings like Glassprimer™ glass surface molecular activator, when combined with UV inkjet printing, can help make glass more visible to birds, and can help printed inks bond permanently to glass. If you would like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint or Glassprimer™ glass surface molecular activator, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Matthew Paulson, via Flickr.com

Glass recycling strategies emerge

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Glass recycling strategies emerge

Glass recycling strategies emerge

Glass recycling is shaping up to be one of the great environmental dilemmas of our time. On one hand, people like to recycle glass. It makes them feel good to know that their glass isn’t going to end up in the landfill. Glass manufacturers and producers like recycling glass. The process reduces their energy consumption, and makes the manufacturing process simpler. The process to make “new” glass from recycled stock can consume about 30% less energy, so there’s real incentive to incorporate recycled glass.

Glass recycling is strategically important but unprofitable

On the other hand, recycling glass is easier said than done. The logistics involved in recycling glass are complicated, often because glass is hard to handle, store and transport. Materials reclamation facilities (MRF) are the first stop for recyclables after they’re picked up at the curb. The glass and other materials are sorted and stored, and therein lies the problem. Glass comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. It’s also not homogenous, so it needs to be sorted. Plate glass (float glass) is different than container glass, and the two materials have to be recycled separately.

And then there’s the issue of breakage. Breakage itself isn’t really a problem, since ultimately, recycled glass does get broken into smaller pieces known as “cullet.” But broken glass is hard to handle when you’re not at the cullet stage.

Recyclers don’t want to devote storage space to glass, or handle the volume of glass that gets broken while in their custody. Complicating the equation is the cost of recycled glass. It’s dropped to the point of being more expensive than new glass, and transportation of glass for recycling is expensive. From an economic standpoint, there’s not much incentive to recycle glass.

Industry groups such as the Glass Recycling Coalition are working to establish best practices for municipal glass recycling programs, partially in an effort to make sure they don’t disappear. One reason that getting the glass recycling question right is important is because people are watching. If the glass they put at the curb for recycling ends up in the landfill, they’re less likely to recycle other materials.

One potential option for glass is reusing it, rather than recycling it. Glass can potentially be incorporated into concrete mixtures, fiberglass and aggregate used in road paving. The future of glass recycling isn’t clear, at this point, but glass is becoming a popular and economical surface for decorating.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated to bond permanently to glass. It offers superior UV resistance and when applied according to manufacturer guidelines, is guaranteed to perform for at least 10 years.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jon Callow, via Flickr.com

Stained glass rules put the hurt on churches

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Stained glass rules could put the hurt on churches

Painted glass window at St. Alkmund’s, Shrewsbury, England

New rules for stained glass manufacturers that have been proposed by the EPA could reduce the amount of stained glass available to churches. In turn, this would significantly increase the price of stained glass for the biggest consumers of the material.

Stained glass regulations expected soon

New EPA rules are being finalized that would directly affect the manufacturers of stained glass. These new rules would require the use of expensive filtration systems for small glass furnaces. The stained glass manufacturing process uses lead, cadmium and other toxic heavy metals that are discharged into the air around the furnaces.

The EPA has become alarmed by the quantity of these toxins that are accumulating in areas around glass plants that do not have filtration systems. Current rules require furnaces that run 24/7 to filter their emissions for the toxic metals. At the same time, the rules allow small furnaces to skip the filtration systems. If the new rules are adopted, however, firms that produce 50 tons or more of glass would need to install the filtration systems, regardless of how often their furnaces run. Filters must recapture 99% of the offending toxins.

Small furnaces – those that typically run without filtration – must abide by temporary production limitations imposed by the EPA. When the rules are finalized, art shops, artists and customers fear that they can not get stained glass, or that they’ll need to purchase imported stained glass at a higher cost.

An alternative to stained glass is painted glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint makes a permanent bond with the glass surface, and will not delaminate, fade or chip, even when exposed to direct sunlight. The paint can be applied in thin layers to control the flow of light through the glass. The paint costs about $1 per square foot, and can be matched to any paint palette from any major paint manufacturer. The paint is easy to clean, low-odor and comes in a water-based alternate formulation.

If you’d like 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: Andrew Fogg, via Flickr.com