Building

Materials :
Glass &
Plastics
By Sanjula Maheshwari
ARC048
 Types of Glass
Glass is a non-crystalline,
often transparent amorphous solid,
that has widespread practical,
technological, and decorative use
 Glass construction
have become the
symbol of
development in
many countries,
where people tend to
see these buildings
as symbols of
affluence and
luxury.
3
 Solar
Control Low
E Glass
Solar control low e glass is one
For tropical countries, this glass is extensively used in glass
type of high-performance glass facades, doors, windows, partitions, malls, showrooms, hotels,
which cuts up to 60% of solar heat restaurants, etc. An interesting example of its application is Burj Khalifa,
entering the room and provides where this glass is used to decrease the air conditioning cost.
thermal insulation. They keep
interiors warmer in winter and
cooler in summer.
4
 Benefits of Solar Control Low E Glass: Disadvantages of Solar Control Low E Glass:
• It creates an insulating layer between interior and • The only disadvantage of solar control low e
exterior of the building and prevents exchange of glass is its cost. It is very expensive, but in the
energy between them. Thus maintaining the desired long run is a sustainable option.
temperature of the room. • For facades, which are in direct contact of
• As heat gained in the room is less, the cost of sunlight, only low e glass cannot be used, as they
electricity is also reduced. will trap heat inside leading to overheating of
• They allow visible light to pass through them, so the interiors.
usage of artificial lights is also optimized.
• Solar control low e glass block UV rays and thus
prevents fading of furniture.
• It also reduces glare of light, thus provides
comfortable vision to eyes.
• Solar control low e glass is an energy efficient glass,
when used in mass structures such as shopping malls,
business centers, skyscrapers, commercial structures,
etc. help in reducing the operating costs of the
structure.
• Solar control low e glass can be easily used in the
form of tempered glass, laminated glass, heat
strengthened glass, and insulated glass units. 5
 Patterned glass can come in a variety of forms, such as

Patterned/ sandblasted glass, but is usually created through the

application of irregular heat across the surface to generate

Textured
an even pattern.

The benefit of patterned glass for many applications is that

Glass it can be both practical in providing a barrier but also

aesthetically pleasing.

It is a decorative and translucent glass It is difficult to clean as dust settles between the crevices.
with textures or patterns on one face of
the glass for diffusing light and
obstructing visibility from the outside.
Patterned glass is useful for providing
privacy to interiors of the house, thus
extensively used in exterior windows and
bathroom windows.
Thickness : 4mm,6mm

6
 Double
Glazed
Double glazed glass is any product
that includes two separate panes
of glass with a layer of air or gas in-
between. This increases the
thermal and acoustic insulation of
products such as windows. It is
also common for products to be
triple or quadruple glazed. 7
Advantages :
• Energy Cost Saving : The airtight construction
of double-glazed windows creates thermal
insulation. This reduces the flow of
incoming and outgoing heat. Less energy is
used to heat up or cool down the space,
resulting in lower energy bills.
• Limited condensation : The air between the
two panes of glass, plus the airtight seal,
prevents condensation from building up by
blocking moisture in cold weather.
• Sound insulation : Creates a barrier between
the home and the environment outside.
• Safety : They are tougher to break than
single pane windows.
• Reduce Damage to furnishings : Double glazed
windows can reduce the amount of sun and
heat entering the room. This can help
reduce sun damage to your paintings,
furniture, carpet, and other objects around
the home.
Disadvantages :
• Can’t be repaired : Once sealed, the panes
can’t be pulled apart and repaired. The
window will have to be replaced.
• Traps heat : During the winter months, the
heat trapping benefit is an advantage, but
during the summer months, trapping heat
inside can lead to a stuffy and
uncomfortable room.
• Not a good match for older homes : Double
glazed windows are modern looking, so
they can clash with older styles.
8
 Advantages

Fused
•Incredibly thermally shock resistant (can be taken from red heat
and plunged into water without cracking)
•Low coefficient of thermal expansion

Quartz •Optical transmission properties from ultraviolet to infra red

•Good chemical resistance
•Excellent electrical insulator
Fused quartz, or fused silica, is a glass
made with pure silica. Normally silicate
glass such as soda-lime glass contain
substances that are designed to reduce
the melting point of the glass. As such
production of fused quartz requires high
temperature of 1650 degree C. It is
strong and has a high melting point and
transmits ultraviolet light better than
other silicate glasses. It is often used in
technology products such as optical Disadvantages
fiber, lenses, laboratory equipment,
spacecraft and semiconductor •The presence of OH impurity is difficult to limit.
fabrication machinery. •Much more costly than other standard glasses.
•Breaks down with some caustics, fluorinated acids and plasmas. 9

•Can solarize in high radiation environments.


Glass
Flakes
Glass flakes are extremely thin
glass plates with an average
thickness of 5 ± 2 micrometers.
that are added to coatings and
paints to prevent corrosion.
Conceptually, this is like painting
something with glass.
There are two main methods to manufacture glass flakes :
• The first is the "bubble method", where a glass marble is turned into
liquid and then blown into a bubble. It is then smashed into glass flakes
and sieved by particle-size distribution.
• The second method is the "centrifuge method", in which high-
temperature liquid glass in a rotating tub creates glass flakes due to
the centrifugal force.
Advantages : Disadvantages :
• Fire Retardancy • Unusual effects on viscosity
• Moisture Vapor Or Gas • Properties like Flexibility and
Permeation Reduction elongation-to-break are
• Mechanical Reinforcement affected when using large
• Abrasion Resistance flakes.
• Dimensional Stability • Cost is high when using pre-
• UV Light Resistance. treated flake.
10

Glass
Bricks
These are hollow glass units or blocks of
glass shaped to work as bricks . Joined
with the help of silicon sealants to obtain
seamless finish .The two outer, exposed
surfaces may be smooth or textured.
Glass blocks can be colored and have
decorated surfaces. Walls of glass
blocks meeting fire resistance are also
possible.
Found in Indonesian, Sri Lankan,
Chinese, USA, German varieties
Advantages
• Higher Energy Cost Savings
• Security & Privacy
• Reduced Maintenance
• High thermal insulation values
• Reduce heat loss in winters and heat gain in summer.
• Utilize the low-lying winter sun for heating.
• Sound Insulation
• Fire resistance
• Glass walls offer a high degree of light transmission; up to
79% of the available light.
Disadvantages
• No natural ventilation
• Because glass block condenses moisture in the air,
the use of glass block windows in areas that tend to
gather humidity is not one of their best uses. When
the moisture condenses in glass block, it can roll
down and collect on the window's frame. 11
 Low-iron
Glass
Low-iron glass is a type of high-
clarity glass that is made
from silica with very low amounts
of iron.
Low-iron glass is used for
aquariums, display cases, some
windows, and other applications
where clarity is desired.
Advantages
▪ Provides excellent light
Disadvantages
▪ The inherent green tint of
transmittance in all conventional clear glass is
thicknesses amplified as thickness
▪ Light & clarity increases. However, with
▪ Very low coloration low-iron glass, that
▪ Excellent color rendering amplification is less
▪ Transparency at high pronounced.
thicknesses to combine
optical quality and
maximum security or
noise control
12
 Fiberglass
Fiberglass is a common type
of fiber-reinforced
plastic using glass fiber. The
fibers may be randomly
arranged, flattened into a sheet
(called a chopped strand mat),
or woven into a fabric.
The manufacturing process for glass fibers
suitable for reinforcement uses large furnaces
to gradually melt the silica sand, limestone,
kaolin clay, fluorspar, colemanite, dolomite &
other minerals until a liquid forms. It is then
extruded through bushings, which are bundles
of very small orifices (typically 5–25
micrometers in diameter for E-Glass, 9
micrometers for S-Glass)
Cheaper and more flexible than
carbon fiber, it is stronger than
many metals by weight, is non-
magnetic, non-conductive,
transparent to electromagnetic
radiation, can be molded into
complex shapes, and is
chemically inert under many
circumstances.
Applications include aircraft,
boats, automobiles, bathtubs
and enclosures, swimming
pools, hot tubs, septic tanks,
water tanks, roofing, pipes,
cladding, orthopedic casts,
surfboards, and external door
skins.
The disadvantages is that it
needs to be re-gel coated about
every five years and can result 13
in airborne fibers which may be
an issue to asthma sufferers.
 Plastics
Plastics are used daily throughout the world.
The word plastic is a common term that is used
for many materials of a synthetic or semi-
synthetic nature. The term was derived from
the Greek plastikos, which means “fit for
molding.”
 Why
Demand? Plastic Bricks made from used Polyurethane Foam
Plastic Water Bottles
Due to their relatively ease of
manufacture, versatility, and
imperviousness to water, low cost,
plastics are used in an enormous and
expanding range of products, from
paper clips to spaceships.

Few examples. :
15
Uses of Plastic A wide range of application of plastics in buildings are :
1. In façade panels, exterior covering, carpentry etc.

in Building
2. In interior coverings, floors, walls, ceiling, doors, partitions
etc.
3. In roof coverings, tightness, domes and lighting elements.

Construction 4. In sanitary equipment and piping.

5. Concrete and mortar with thermosetting resin bending
agents.

Plastics are manufactured in different forms

such as moulding pipes, sheets and films.
Dissolved in solvents or dispersed as emulsions,
they are used in paints, varnishes, and
adhesives.

16
17
18
Limitations • Plastics may be degraded under the action of direct

of Plastics sunlight which reduces their mechanical strength.

• Many plastics are flammable unless treated.
• High embodied energy content
as a • Low modulus of elasticity makes them unsuitable for
load-bearing applications.

Building • Thermoplastics are subject to creep and soften at

moderate temperatures.
• Thermal expansion for most plastics is high: adequate
Material thermal movement must be allowed in detailing.

19
 20

Thank You
Submitted to : Ar. Nimret Kaur