Learn below the advantages Anomatic has realized from choosing a curved glass block wall and the design and installation approaches used by Columbus Glass Block and Ruscilli Inc. to create a nice looking long-lasting installation.
Glass block walls in retail or office space provide a modular building system which moves light through interior or exterior spaces. Well lit spaces in offices and factories improve productivity and will help your team enjoy their workspace.
Curved Glass Block Office Walls – Advantages and Design Considerations
Glass blocks come in a wide variety of decorative patterns, designs, colors, sizes, shapes and thicknesses. They can be used for partition walls, stairwells, bars, decorative columns or even floor systems.
Years ago the only way to do a glass block project was to hire (an expensive) mason and ay the units piece by piece. This process was long and costly. Fortunately with the invention of prefabricated systems block walls can be made into easy to install sections which can be put in by maintenance departments and other less costly trades. Ask about how to pre-made sections can make your project easier.
An often overlooked element in a successful daylighting design is the interior design. A daylight-optimized interior design considers furniture design, placement, and room surface finishes with respect to daylight performance. For example, office cubicle partition heights will be limited, particularly those running parallel to the south facade, enclosed offices will be kept to a minimum, and walls and ceilings will be as highly reflective as possible, to help "bounce" and distribute the redirected daylight more fully. By positioning work surfaces at a distance from the south facade, solar control is easier with smaller solar shading devices than if a desk or office is placed directly against the south facade. This concept is illustrated in the following figure, and shows how a relatively small overhang provides full direct seasonal solar protection to the workspace. The area immediately adjacent to the south facade is circulation space.
When reviewing a set of contract documents, I often find myself gravitating to the life-safety drawings. These drawings spell out several items which help me in evaluating the overall sprinkler needs for a project. Among the most common items identified are the location and rating of the code-required fire separations/walls utilized for that project. When constructed of standard building materials, these firewalls pose little impact on sprinkler design considerations. However, more and more often, fire sprinkler contractors are faced with owners and architects who wish to utilize large quantities of glass separations in their designs. This use of glass is being utilized for applications of security, economic efficiencies, and building aesthetics. Unfortunately, this desire is complicated when coupled with the requirements for fire separation between spaces. While there is an ample amount of fire-rated glass available on the market today, owners and architects are limited to the use of either wired glass assemblies (which deter from the intended design use) or expensive laminated glass. For this reason, engineers and architects often turn to sprinkler contractors to aid in providing the required ratings of the glass assemblies with the application of window sprinkler designs. The intent of this article is to discuss the application and pitfalls of window sprinkler design.
The last item that a sprinkler designer must take into consideration before designing their system is the glass assembly type. Again, I caution that the responsibility falls on the registered design professional to make sure that these considerations are included in the specifications and design for a project, but a sprinkler designer should be knowledgeable of all the items that directly affect their individual systems. When it comes to the glass assemblies, there are six items that must be considered. A design must take note of glass size, glazing type, glazing frames, horizontal mullions, and openings and penetrations.
Keep it light. The color of the office walls sets a tone. Wall colors in light, soothing colors like sage green or dusty blue promote a sense of calm and relaxation, environmental designers say.
Glass block can be used in residential as well as commercial projects, as non-load bearing walls, windows, or partitions. An astonishing range of applications is possible with a corresponding variety of aesthetic results. Glass block have been used in police stations, subway terminals, schools, parking garages and gymnasiums, in addition to numerous private and commercial new construction and renovations. Consider some interior uses: as a contemporary shower stall, a kitchen island or backsplash, or as the sidelights at the front door. Yet, before building aesthetics and even design can be considered, it is crucial to become familiar with the technical properties of glass block. Working with glass block requires a certain level of skill and a thorough understanding of the material.
What makes the choice of block all the more interesting is the wide range of patterns. Clear block with its smooth face offers high visibility and light transmission. Wavy and fluted patterns allow for moderate levels of visual privacy while maintaining high light levels. Even greater privacy comes with stippled, diamond, and tightly ribbed designs. Fibrous glass inserts are also available to provide maximum privacy and further temper light and heat transmission.
Generally, two thicknesses are available. The standard 3-7/8-inch glass block includes the largest selection of patterns, sizes and shapes. Each 3-7/8-inch thick glass block is designed to provide stability and durability, as well as good insulation values, sound transmission, and fire resistance ratings. Thinner 3-1/8-inch block is specifically designed for prefabricated panels of limited size, for use as windows.
Mortar considerations. Unlike other masonry products (i.e., brick, concrete block, etc.), glass block is non-porous and does not absorb any moisture. Because of this, the consistency of glass block mortar must be stiffer (like peanut butter) than the wetter mortar used with other masonry products. All head and bed joints must be completely filled with mortar, and all joints struck smooth to prevent penetration and migration of moisture.
Joint reinforcement should also be placed in the bed joint immediately above and below openings in the glass block panel. For curved walls, the inner wire is cut periodically so the reinforcement can be bent to the radius of the curve. The reinforcement is pressed into the partially filled mortar joint, then covered with the remaining mortar and trowelled smooth. Mortar joints should not be furrowed.
Panel anchoring. Three methods for anchoring glass block panels are recommended to accommodate lateral support along the top and sides of each panel - panel anchor, channel, and chase systems. These supports are designed to resist the applied loads, or a minimum of 200 pounds per lineal foot of panel, whichever is greater.
Expansion joints. To accommodate movement of the glass, expansion strips 3/8-inch thick, are required along the top and sides of glass block panels. These joints are filled with a resilient material such as polyethylene, which allows the panel to expand and contract. In exterior walls, joints must be well caulked to prevent water penetration.
The unique properties of glass block are especially applicable to health and safety issues, in addition to providing a number of environmental advantages. They offer special performance characteristics regarding fire resistance; resistance to surface condensation, light, heat, thermal and shading performance; sound transmission; and hurricane and earthquake resistance. Equally significant is the potential role in green building and contribution to several categories in LEED certifications-both in quantifiable and qualitative measures.
Green building now includes far more than data and performance of building products. Occupants' comfort and well-being and factors such as daylight are critically important for Green Building-especially when designing for the unique needs of children of all ages. Another factor in Green Building is life cycle analysis, which quantifies the impact of a product or building from raw materials used through its disposal or reuse. While life cycle analysis is, as yet, hard to quantify, it is certainly an issue to consider when specifyng green products. Glass block has the advantage of having a relatively low life cycle impact, being both recyclable and manufactured from unlimited natural resources. Moreover, being 100 percent glass, it does not emit any harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Fire-protection. Presently, no glass block assemblies qualify as fire-rated wall assemblies. Unlike the wall assembly test that measures a material's integrity, stability and thermal transmission, the glass block window test only determines the ability of the assembly to remain structurally sound and prevent passage of smoke and other noxious fumes during the fire test. Therefore, all assemblies must meet standards set for windows (ASTM E-2010) and NFPA 257) rather than for walls (ASTM E-119).
The 4,500-square foot gymnasium, Lloyd Hall's focal point, houses events ranging from basketball games to weddings. It required materials that were vandal-resistant yet attractive. To meet the dual requirements of high-durability and pleasing aesthetics, Armstrong specified solid glass block for three of the gym's four walls. From both interior and exterior vantage points, the solid glass block is visually appealing while connoting the sense of openness. The solid glass block transmits 80 percent of available light in both directions, while brightening the interior with natural light. A variety of traditional glazing options were ruled out because of vandalism concerns. "If we didn't use glass block, we would be looking at a rec center without windows, which would not be appropriate for the park setting," said Armstrong. 2ff7e9595c
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