Philip Norman,

Former State President

Australian Glass & Glazing

Association

Agenda

▪Past & Present

▪Trends & Changes

▪Architects and designers demands

▪Internal Glass market segments

▪Acoustic Rating Requirements

▪Automatics & Security

▪Privacy & Transparency: The Best of Both Worlds

Past & Present▪ Commercial internal fitout market over the past 40

years we have seen many changes.

▪ From just a single viewing panel or highlight in an

office to having full glass fronts with graphic designs.

▪ We now work in more comfortable user friendly offices

which enhance productivity.

Trends & changes

▪ Increasing demands of designers and architects

▪ Improved sound ratings have lead to the need for acoustic laminated glass or double glazing

▪ Glass use in wet areas is a cleaner alternative to tiles

▪ Glass that can be transitioned from clear to opaque with the flick of a switch

▪ Graphics printed or applied to glass to display a logo, give a message, create a theme or

advertise a product or service.

▪ Glazing codes for frameless balustrades on internal staircases are becoming more stringent

Architects and designers demands ▪ We are continuously challenged as new trend specifications in shopping centres

and the fitout industry commonly dictate the use of larger panels of glass.

▪ Increased difficulty in having safe access to buildings. For example, lifting large panels of glass into elevators

▪ This creates workplace health and safety risks. Current laws demand that we protect our workers from harm and do everything practicable to ensure workers return home from work safe and sound.

▪ Today’s specifications stipulate higher acoustic ratings. Therefore glass used in many internal fitouts needs to perform better than ever before.

▪ Previously, standard laminated glass was used. Now glass must be a higher RW and STC rating and use a specially formulated interlayer to dampen noise.

The internal market segments ▪ Internal office fitouts

▪ Kitchen and bathroom applications, domestic and commercial.

▪ Hospitality clubs and pubs.

▪ Retail stores.

▪ Gyms, spas and sporting clubs.

▪ Hospitals and Medical centres.

▪ Shopfronts.

▪ Commercial Building Foyers

Internal office fit outs▪ “Behind the façade” it goes unnoticed how much

glass is installed into modern internal fit outs.

▪ For example this building completed in Brisbane

in 2016 has over 150 ton of heavy weight

laminated glass across 40 floors.

Bathrooms, domestic and commercialThe increased use of glass and mirrors in bathrooms and kitchens has resulted in less tiles being used.

Therefore less grout lines, the advantage of using glass cladded walls gives a brighter more clean look

There’s an aesthetic appeal to glass being used for splash backs its clean and contemporary

Kitchens Over the past couple of decades there has been an enormous increase in the amount of

glass being used for splash backs in kitchens both in the domestic and commercial market

This has added increased sales for toughened producers and glass coating specialists.

What has this done for the tilers out there? Glass is the perfect way to show clean lines.

Hospitality clubs and pubs

The use of glass operable doors dividing areas for

either open areas or cut off for private functions glass

locks it off but doesn’t give the closed in look

The use of mirrors opening up areas making the

space used to appear larger than it actually is.

Gyms, spas and sporting clubs

The use of mirrors in gyms has always been apparent with the current Australian Glazing Code AS1288

insisting on the use of vinyl back silver or the entire surface of the mirror being contacted to the wall.

Hospitals and Medical centres

The use of colour interlayered glass such as Vanceva ® is

being used here to create a unique look of ambience,

enhancing the aesthetic of this medical centre.

Hospitals and medical centres are seeking to ensure

maximum safety when performing X-rays. They are using

more lead Glass in X-ray rooms to block out radiation.

Shopfronts

Larger glass panels in shop fronts continue to challenge the Australian Glazing Code AS1288.

Retail stores attempt to outperform rivals to get the attention of the shopper in a highly competitive market.

Commercial building foyers ▪ Internal foyers are being constructed of colour backed & digitally printed Glass cladded walls.

▪ Frameless glass staircases. The use of value added glass products continues to be trend

setting and in vogue. The aesthetic is pleasing to the eye with a clean and clear appearance.

Acoustic rating requirements

▪ Acoustic glass has a tried and tested sound rating, giving higher RW ratings to meet

specification requirements.

▪ However if the framing used doesn’t match the standard– what is the point??

▪ The frame and doors must also rate well and that the other trades must ensure all air gaps

are sealed and doors have had acoustic seals fitted.

▪ If not, the partition will not meet the RW rating required and the expense of the acoustic glass

will be wasted.

▪ Further, sometimes the acoustic glass will still not satisfy the rating specified and, in these

cases, double glazing can be used to give a better RW rating. (see below)

Table showing (dB) reduction

Thickness Monolithic Laminated Acoustic laminated

6mm 32 33 36

10mm 36 36 39

12mm 37 37 40

Framing Systems

▪ Framing is an integral component of achieving sound ratings and acoustic performance.

▪ A number of key issues need to be addressed and adhered to:

▪ Sealing between the frame to all surfaces.

▪ Aluminium framed joints need to be tight and sealed.

▪ Acoustic baffles above the ceiling line.

▪ Gaskets and seals between the glass and aluminium, optimally a full wet seal.

Automatics & security ▪ In this ever changing world, you never know what to expect from external threats.

▪ Workplaces must ensure their premises are secure and safe. This has lead to an increased

use of automatic operating doors, toughened or toughened laminated glass.

▪ Government departments and major corporations have been heavy users of these products.

Switchable Privacy GLASS transparency:

the best of both worlds▪ Switchable Privacy Glass

panels are not as optically clear as standard float glass.

▪ Some degree of haze will always appear.

▪ This patented technology incorporates LED/light sources into glass and has can create patterns, images & logos.

▪ Special flat or curved LED glass to match the required application without any disturbing wires

Power OFF

Power ON

The End

▪ Time to go fishing

Thank you