Insulating Glasses in Filigree Bearing Structures

Glass façades form a part of the building envelope. They represent the separating parts between the interior and the exterior climate. In the contrary to the interior building elements, the glass façade is subjected to permanent stresses from outside. These are e.g.:

- Wind loads (positive and negative pressure),

- Rain and humidity,

- Changes in temperature,

- Solar radiation (especially UV radiation),

- Environmental pollution,

- Detergents.

Significant requirements result for the façade from the mentioned stresses:

a) Planning of load-bearing structures (statics):

- Wind (positive and negative pressure),

- Weights, Loads (own weight, imposed loads...),

- Reinforcements,

- Dimensioning (cross-sections, connections...).

b) Building physics

- Protection from humidity (watertightness, diffusion of dew water),

- Thermal insulation (construction of building connection, heat bridges),

- Solar protection (Thermal insulation in summer),

- Sound insulation,

- Fire protection.

c) Usability

- Construction.

In this context, it is important to combine functionality and aethetics within the building envelope.
The glass façade of the future will create an environment with more safety, higher energy saving and increased comfort for the user by using controlling techniques for buildings. In the contrary to common electrical controllers, bus systems will not only operate windows and facade parts mechanically, but they can arrange an integrated controlling of the building functions. Bus systems can adapt ventilation, heating, daylighting and solar protection to each other, depending on the temperature and the quality of the air in the room. In that way the bus systems offer economic benefit beside the comfort.

For the construction of a façade many different materials are used. Such, the insulating glass units as an infilling element of the façade consist of organic edge connecting materials, of laminated glasses with cast resin or safety glazing with PVB foil which all are in interaction with sealants and of materials of the construction. The damages occurred during the last few years show that the compatibility of the used materials to one another, to the walling construction and to other used sealants within the façade should be of higher interest in the future.

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The Authors

Mr. Helmut Hohenstein Dr. Hohenstein Consultancy Dr. Hohenstein is a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Operations Research and Business Development in the Martin Luther University. He is Chairman and Vice Chairman in many Internationa... Read more