Glass types and their Engineering Properties for Use in Construction

There are various types of glass used in construction for different purposes. Engineering properties and uses of these glass is discussed in this article.
Glass is a hard substance which may be transparent or translucent and brittle in nature. It is manufactured by fusion process. In this process sand is fused with lime, soda and some other admixtures and then cooled rapidly. Glass is used in construction purpose and architectural purpose in engineering.
types-of-glass-used-in-construction
Table of Contents [show]

Engineering Properties of Glass

  • Transparency
  • Strength
  • Workability
  • Transmittance
  • U value
  • Recycle property

Transparency of Glass

Transparency is the main property of glass which allows the vision of 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 mirror from the other side.

Strength of Glass

Strength of glass depends on 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.

Workability of Glass

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

Transmittance

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

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.

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 in Construction Works

The types of glass used in construction are:
  • Float glass
  • Shatterproof glass
  • Laminated glass
  • Extra clean glass
  • Chromatic glass
  • Tinted glass
  • Toughened glass
  • Glass blocks
  • Glass wool
  • Insulated glazed units

Float Glass

Float glass is made of sodium silicate and calcium silicate so, it is also called as soda lime glass. It is clear and flat so, it causes glare. These glasses are available from 2mm to 20mm thickness ranges. They have a weight range of 6 to 36 kg/m2. These are used as shop fronts, public places etc.
Float Glass

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.
Shatterproof Glass

Laminated Glass

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

Extra Clean Glass

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

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.
Chromatic Glass

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
Coloring ionColor
Iron oxideGreen
SulphurBlue
Manganese dioxideBlack
CobaltBlue
ChromiumDark green
TitaniumYellowish brown
Uraniumyellow
Tinted Glass

Toughened Glass

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

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.
Glass Blocks

Glass Wool

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

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.
Insulated Glazed Units

Comments

Riya said…
Great Post. Thanks for sharing it with us. Emergency Shutter Repair
1 February 2021 at 01:20
Supreme Aluminium Windows said…
Thank you for sharing this.
Manufacturing High Quality Residential & Commercial Doors and Windows, well recognized & reputed by homeowners, renovators, architects and builders. Proudly Australian owned & operated for over 60 years.
Shop front glazing
31 May 2021 at 11:15
StevenHWicker said…
I got here much interesting stuff. The post is great! Thanks for sharing it! Architectural Glazing
12 June 2021 at 01:02
Sanjay Mishra said…
Great Post. Thanks for sharing it with us. Anyone who wants to get the best Shopfronts in London, can contact the leading shopfront company.
10 September 2021 at 00:42
zitaglass said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
1 May 2022 at 23:06
Priya Gupta said…
I like this idea. I think that Toughened Glasstoughened glass is a great choice. It's a great way to add protection to the screen, which is especially important if you have young kids.
16 August 2022 at 07:20
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

40+ Construction Tools List with Images for Building Construction

Image
Construction tools list for building construction works such as concrete, brick masonry, leveling, wood works, floor works, slab works, brick laying, plastering etc. is provided. Every construction tool is necessary to achieve good results in the whole project. Along with these tools, the workers should also use some safety tools to prevent them from the unexpected accidents. Construction Tools List for Building Construction Some important construction tools and their uses are listed below: Bolster Boning rod Brick hammer Bump cutter/screed Chisel Circular saw Concrete mixer Cordless drill Crowbar Digging bar End frames Float Gloves Hand saw Helmet Hoe Iron pan Jack plane Ladder Line and pins Mason’s square Measuring box Measuring tape Measuring wheel Pick axe Plumb bob Plumb rule Polishers Putty knife Rammer Rubber Boots Safety glasses Safety helmet Sand screen machine Scratchers Sledge hammer Spade Spirit level Straight edge brushes Til
Read more

Building Materials properties and their Importance in Construction

Image
Building materials or construction materials are the major requirement in this modern age of technology. There are many types of building materials used for different construction works. Properties of Building Materials For a material to be considered as building material, it should have required engineering properties suitable for construction works. These properties of building materials are responsible for its quality and capacity and helps to decide applications of these material. Such properties of building materials are categorized as follows. Physical properties Mechanical properties Chemical properties Electrical properties Magnetic properties Thermal properties Physical Properties of Building Materials These are the properties required to estimate the quality and condition of the material without any external force. The physical properties of engineering materials are as follows. Bulk density Porosity Durability Density Density index Specific gravity
Read more

How to Prevent Errors During Setting Out Building Plan on Ground?

Image
Setting out building plan on ground is one of the most significant steps in building constructions and any errors at this stage would cause considerable problems, if it is not tackled immediately. Errors During Setting Out Building Plan on Ground There are different types of errors that might be made when a structure is set out for example gross errors, systematic errors and random errors. These errors should be prevented and there are some measures to tackle these issues. These measures will be discussed in the following sections. Fig.1: Setting Out of Building Plan on Ground Fig.2: Setting Out Building Plan on Ground How to Prevent Errors During Setting Out of Building? Following are the different types of control that should be carried out to prevent any errors during setting out building plan on ground: Good practice in office On site control Equipment and staff Checks Marking the ground Use of grid offset Good Practice in Office To successfully set
Read more

Factors Affecting Selection of Foundation for Buildings?

Image
Factors which affect selection of foundation for a building can be many from the soil conditions to the type of structure and loads from the building. All the factors are considered during selection of foundation for durable building construction. Factors Affecting Selection of Foundation Following are the factors which affect the selection of suitable foundations for building construction: Loads from building Type of soil Type of structures in neighborhood Type of foundations 1. Loads from Building The first factor considered is loads from building on the foundation. This load is a combination of dead load and imposed loads on the buildings. Other loads such as wind loads, earthquake loads, snow loads etc. are also considered based on location. The quantity of loads depends on the type of structure, number of floors and material of construction. As the number of floors increases, the dead load and imposed loads also increase. Choice of material for construction su
Read more

Ceiling types used in Building Construction and their Applications

Image
Various types of ceiling are used in building construction. Applications, aesthetics, advantages and disadvantages of these types of ceilings are discussed in this article. The ceiling of a building form one of the most important structural elements it terms of functionality as well as creativity which in turn bring good aesthetics to the building interior. This document would help you understand ceilings that in turn would help you understand the most suitable options while undertaking either repair or renovation work of our building interior. The ceiling gains a definition, ” A part of a building which encloses and is exposed overhead in a room, protected shaft or circulation space.” It helps us to create an enclosure and separation between spaces. They provide perfect lighting in the room by controlling diffusion of light. It also controls the sound around a room by making the room sound proof. It, therefore, stops the passage of sound between the rooms. Now ceiling also po
Read more

HOW TO DETERMINE DEPTH OF FOUNDATION

Image
Many factors affects the determination of depth of foundation. Calculation for foundation depth is done based on type of soil, ground water table, loads from structure, bearing capacity of soil and other factors. General factors to be considered for determining depth of foundation are: 1. Load applied from structure to the foundation 2. Bearing capacity of soil 3. Depth of water level below the ground surface 4. Types of soil and depth of layers in case of layered soil 5. Depth of adjacent foundation The minimum depth of foundation should be considered to ensure that the soil is having the required safe bearing capacity as assumed in the design. However, it is advised to carry out soil investigation before deciding on depth of foundation. Soil investigation report will suggest the foundation depth based on the type of structure, soil properties, depth of water table, and all other variable that should be considered. Soil investigation report provides bearing capacity of
Read more

WHAT IS VOLUME BATCHING OF CONCRETE AND HOW IT IS DONE IN FIELD?

Image
WHAT IS VOLUME BATCHING OF CONCRETE? Batching of concrete means measuring different ingredients of concrete (i.e. cement, sand, coarse aggregate and water) before mixing it. When this measurement is done on the basis of volume, we call it  Volume Batching . Below are mentioned some of important points to remember before adopting volume batching method in field. Volume batching is not a good method for measuring concrete materials. It is not applicable in case of reinforced concrete structure. This method of concrete batching may not be economical. It can be only used for unimportant concrete or for small concrete works. HOW VOLUME BATCHING IS DONE IN FIELD? Before batching concrete ingredients in terms of volume, we need to know two things. What is the relative proportion of concrete ingredients in terms of volume? What is the water-cement ratio? After knowing these two things you can proceed to batch concrete ingredients in field. The table shown below can be
Read more

Construction Project Management Softwares

Image
Construction PM Software A new wave of web and cloud apps are streamlining communication, simplifying document management, and improving efficiency in construction management.  Here are some of top construction management tools: Smartsheet Smartsheet  is a spreadsheet-inspired work management tool with robust collaboration and communication features. With pre-built construction templates, it’s easy to create a timeline, track progress, manage documents, and organize the details. Gantt charts are automatically created and auto-adjust every time a change is made, so you can share the most up-to-date timeline with team members or stakeholders. You can upload files from your computer, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, Evernote, or add a web URL, creating a central repository for all project documentation and contracts. Team members can have discussions directly in the sheet and set reminders and alerts, so everyone is on the same page. And lastly, Smartsheet integrates with ot
Read more

Methods of underpinning, Procedure and Applications in Foundation Strengthening

Image
Underpinning is a method for repair and strengthening of building foundations. Underpinning methods, procedures and their applications in strengthening of different types of foundations is discussed in this article. There are situations where a failure in foundation or footing happens unexpectedly after the completion of whole structure (both sub and superstructure). Under such emergency situation, a remedial method has to be suggested to regain the structural stability. The  method of underpinning  help to strengthen the foundation of an existing building or any other infrastructure. These involve installation of permanent or temporary support to an already held foundation so that additional depth and bearing capacity is achieved. Selection of Underpinning Methods Underpinning methods are selected based on age of structure and types of works involved. Structure categories based on its age: Ancient Structures :Age greater than 150 years Recent Structures : Age between 5
Read more

Methods for Calculating Cost of Engineering Consultant Services

Image
here are several methods by which calculation of engineering consultant services cost can be carried out in construction. It is possible to employ various charging approach at different phase of the consultant services. The application of each method or combination of methods is dependent on nature, scope and complexity of the required engineering services. In this article, these charging consulting services are discussed. Following are the topics discussed for calculating cost of engineering services or consulting services in construction: What are the factors that affect the engineering service cost? Methods for charging engineering services What are the Factors that affect the Engineering Service Cost in Construction? There are various factors that control the cost of engineering services required for a specific project. These factors are outlined below: The conditions at project site. Degree of danger that may be encountered and exposure possibility. System of pr
Read more