Types of Glass Ideal for Building Facade -

What is a glass façade?

Simply put, glass wrapping the exterior of the building is a glass façade. These building façades are regularly used in modern-day building designs due to their simplicity and the length and breadth of design applications.

These building façades add glamour and enhance the style quotient of the whole building. However, glass façades are not just used for the purpose of visual aesthetics, it is also rich in functionality such as excellent sound and heat insulation.

But if you are a bit lost on which types of glass façades you should choose for your construction project, a client or even your own home renovation, we have got you covered. Here is a curated list of façades and glasses that are available for you to achieve that perfect balance of aesthetics and functionality.

Types Of Glass Façade

Curtain Wall Façade

These are curtain-like structures, that are non-load bearing, and are attached to the floor of the building in which the façade is to be incorporated. Curtain Wall Façades have to support only their weight and not the dead load weight which is put on by the building.

A connection exists between the curtain wall and the building’s columns and floors so that the weight of the wind can be transferred from the façade to the building itself.

1. Storefront Curtain Wall Façade

It is a non-load-bearing façade that is primarily designed for ground floors. It is usually built between the ground and the roof of the building above it.

This building façade offers optimal thermal and sound insulation if it is constructed using specialised glasses. It can be easily customised and is quite cost-effective.

Framing Façades

1. Unitized Curtain Wall

This type of curtain wall is Composed of large units that come already assembled and glazed from the factory itself, before shipping to the building site for installation.

As unitized curtain walls form the core component of the exterior of the building, they are made to enhance thermal efficiency, sound transmission and fire safety.

2. Semi-unitized Curtain Wall

A semi-unitized curtain wall is a type of structural glazing where the primary structural framing components are erected individually as an erector set. The vertical mullions in these sets are attached first to the floor slabs and then the horizontals are attached to the vertical mullions to resemble a grid.

3. Frameless Façades

Frameless Façade systems are quite common in modern-day architectural glazing. The reason why this system is preferred, is that frameless glazing offers huge potential within architectural glazing design. This type of glazing is an excellent way of maximising natural daylight.

4. Tension System

To create these façades, high-tensile cables or stainless-steel rods are used to impose the load of the façade on the main structure. Doing this increases the transparency of the façade. The two main types in the industry are tension rod façades and cable net walls.

Types Of Glass

1. Laminated glass

It is basically layers of ordinary glass stacked over each other. It is much heavier and tougher than compared to normal glass. They are thicker and provide robust protection from UV rays as well as great insulation from outside noises.

2. Toughened Glass

This is a more durable form of glass as compared to others. It is available in various thicknesses providing different levels of toughness. It is also known as tempered glass. This type of glass is ideally used for fire resistance.

3. Insulated Glass

This type of glass consists of two or more glass panes that are separated by a thin film of air. This allows for the heat to dissipate more effectively making it a great choice for insulation.

4. Solar Control Glass

This type of glass is designed specially to reduce the amount of heat getting into a building space. It does so by absorbing the heat from the sun’s rays when it falls on the glass panels.

5. Tinted Glass

These not only serve an aesthetic purpose but when the sun hits it just right, but it also works as an excellent insulator.

Find the perfect façades with AIS

Manufacturing high-quality glass products for diverse applications has been our speciality for over 3 decades. In that time, we have refined our craft to a degree which has made us the leading glass solutions provider in India.

At AIS Glass we manufacture high-quality toughened glass to build durable and elegant façades with contemporary styling. Our solutions are customizable as per different customer needs. Get in touch with us and enjoy our wide range of solutions.

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There are various types of glass used in construction for different purposes. This article discusses the engineering properties and uses of these glasses.

Glass is a hard substance which may be transparent or translucent and brittle. The fusion process used to manufacture glasses. In this process, sand is fused with lime, soda, and some other admixtures and then cooled rapidly. Glasses used in construction purposes and architectural purposes in engineering.

Fig. 1: Use of Glass as Building Envelope

Engineering Properties of Glass

1. Transparency
2. Strength
3. Workability
4. Transmittance
5. U value
6. Recycling property

1. Transparency of Glass

Transparency is the main property of glass which allows the vision of the outside world through it. The transparency of glass can be from both sides or from one side only. In one side transparency, glass behaves like a mirror from the other side.

2. Strength of Glass

The strength of glass depends on the modulus of rupture value of glass. In general glass is a brittle material but by adding admixtures and laminates we can make it as more strong.

3. Workability of Glass

A glass can be molded into any shape, or it can be blown during melting. So, workability of glass is a superior property.

4. Transmittance

The visible fraction of light that passing through glass is the property of visible transmittance.

5. U value of Glass

U value represents the amount of heat transferred through glass. If a glass is said to be insulated unit then it should have lower u value.

6. Recycle Property of Glass

Any glass can be 100% recyclable. It can also be used as raw material in construction industry.

Types of Glass and their Uses

The types of glass used in construction are:

1. Float glass
2. Shatterproof glass
3. Laminated glass
4. Extra clean glass
5. Chromatic glass
6. Tinted glass
7. Toughened glass
8. Glass blocks
9. Glass wool
10. Insulated glazed units

1. Float Glass

Float glass manufactured from sodium silicate and calcium silicate so, it is also called as soda-lime glass. It is clear and flat, so it causes glare. Thickness of the float glass is available from 2mm to 20mm, and its weight range from 6 to 36 kg/m2. The application of float glass includes shop fronts, public places, etc.

Fig. 2 Laminated Glass

2. Shatterproof Glass

Shatterproof glass is used for windows, skylights, floors, etc. Some type of plastic polyvinyl butyral is added in its making process. So, it cannot form sharp-edged pieces when it breaks.

Fig. 3: Shatterproof Glass

3. Laminated Glass

Laminated glass is the combination of layers of ordinary glass. So, it has more weight than a normal glass. It has more thickness and is UV proof and soundproof. These are used for aquariums, bridges, etc.

Fig. 4: Laminated Glass Used in Building Construction

4. Extra Clean Glass

Extra clean glass has two unique properties, photocatalytic and hydrophilic. Because of these properties, it acts as stain proof and gives a beautiful appearance. Maintenance is also easy.

Fig. 5: Extra Clean Glass

5. Chromatic Glass

Chromatic glass is used in ICU’s, meeting rooms etc. it can control the transparent efficiency of glass and protects the interior from daylight. The chromatic glass may be photochromic which has light sensitive lamination, thermos-chromatic which has heat sensitive lamination and electrochromic which has electric lamination over it.

Fig. 6: Chromatic Glass

6. Tinted Glass

Tinted glass is nothing but colored glass. A color producing ingredients is mixed to the normal glass mix to produce colored glass which does not affect other properties of glass. Different color-producing ingredients are tabulated below:

Table 1: Different Types of Ions Used to Produce Various Colors in Glasses

Coloring ionColorIron oxideGreenSulphurBlueManganese dioxideBlackCobaltBlueChromiumDark greenTitaniumYellowish brownUraniumYellow Fig. 7: Tinted Glass

7. Toughened Glass

Toughened glass is a durable glass that has low visibility. It is available in all thicknesses, and when it is broken it forms small granular chunks that are dangerous. This is also called as tempered glass. This type of glass is used for fire-resistant doors, mobile screen protectors, etc.

Fig. 8: Toughened Glass

8. Glass Blocks

Glass block or glass bricks are manufactured from two different halves and they are pressed and annealed together while melting process of glass. These are used as architectural purpose in the construction of walls, skylights etc. They provide aesthetic appearance when light is passed through it.

Fig. 9: Glass Block

9. Glass Wool

Glass wool is made of fibers of glass and acts as an insulating filler. It is fire-resistant glass.

Fig. 10: Glass Wool

10. Insulated Glazed Units

Insulated glazed glass units contains a glass is separated into two or three layers by air or vacuum. They cannot allow heat through it because of air between the layers and acts as good insulators. These are also called as double glazed units.

Fig. 11: Insulated Glazed Glass Unit

FAQs on Types of Glasses: properties and applications

What is a glass?

Glass is a hard substance which may be transparent or translucent and brittle. It is manufactured by the fusion process.

What are the properties of glasses?

The fundamental properties of the glass that make it suitable for building construction applications are transparency, strength, workability, transmittance, U value, and recycling.

What are the types of glasses?

Float glass, shatterproof glass, laminated glass, extra-clean glass, chromatic glass, tinted glass, toughened glass, glass blocks, glass wool, and insulated glazed units.

What are the applications of glasses in building constructions?

shop fronts, public places, windows, skylights, floors, aquariums, bridges, stain proof, aesthetics, ICU’s, meeting rooms, insulations, wall constructions, fire-resistant doors, and mobile screen protectors.

What is U value of a glass?

U value represents the amount of heat transferred through glass. If a glass is said to be insulated unit then it should have lower u value.

What is laminated and tempered/ toughened glass?

Laminated glass is the combination of layers of ordinary glass. It has superior weight, thickness, UV proof, and soundproof than a regular glass. Toughened or tempered glass is a durable glass that has low visibility.

Read More: Uses of Glass in Construction