Glass is being used more frequently in modern architectural projects. However, not every pane of glass is the same. Building developers use various types of glass for different projects in order to achieve different objectives. 

Smart glass, for instance, is very different from ordinary glass. It offers bolstered soundproofing and thermal insulation. In this article, we’ll be discussing the technical properties and applications of different types of construction glass.

6 Key Properties of Glass as a Building Material

ความโปร่งใส

Transparency is one of the most obvious characteristics of glass, but what precisely is transparency, and how does glass become transparent? To comprehend this, you must first comprehend the formation of glass. Glass is created from an amorphous solid, which has the structure of a liquid that takes on a solid form. On a microscopic level, the surface of the glass is homogeneous. 

This means that light can strike a glass surface without being scattered in all directions. Glass’ transparency makes it an ideal material for products that require or allow light to pass through them, like different types of glass windows, light bulbs, and reading glasses.

Transmittance

The distorting and diffusing properties of glass reduce glare when it transmits light. Different patterns are available for these glass types to determine how much light is transmitted through the pane.

In general, though, glass is excellent for transmitting and absorbing light. A few examples include toughened glass and annealed glass.

U Value and Insulation

The thermal transmittance of an object is defined by the U-Value. The rate at which heat can escape from something like a room or a house is known as thermal transmittance.

When compared to other types of windows such as insulated, or double-glazed windows, single-pane windows have a high thermal transmission percentage and a lower rate of heat retention. In cold climates, low-u-value glass is favored because it requires less central heating and power.

Strength

Glass is strangely powerful for a material that is barely visible. Again, understanding what gives the glass its strength and defines its workability is a complicated and technical task just like a wired glass.

If you are still not convinced, there are extra-durable options available, such as tempered glass, chemically strengthened glass, annealed glass, and mirrored glass.

Workability

During the melting process, you can come up with any type of glass shape or size of your choice from molten glass. Additionally, molten glass can be easily shaped using a molten tin into various shapes based on the client’s taste and preferences due to its altered chemical and thermal properties during this controlled process.

Recyclability

The same glass can also be used as raw material in the construction industry. This property is very important since it reduces waste. You can create new, strong glass out of old, broken glass.

7 Types of Glass in Architecture

มี different types of glass in architecture including large glass panels, soda lime glass, window glass, heat strengthened glass, safety glass, and more. Your choice will depend on the usage. These construction glass types are explained below.

Float/Flat Glass

Float glass is the first result of the float process. Float glass is a basic form of glass with high quality like plate glass. After extra treatment, this glass splits into long shards and is extensively utilized in double-glazing.

Many everyday objects, such as windscreens, electronic device screens, and bus stops, are made of float glass and safety laminated glass.

Laminated Glass

When enhanced security is required, such as for a front door, or car windscreen, laminated safety glass is a popular security glass solution. This colored glass can also be used as a decorative glass.

Laminated glass has a number of advantages. This decreases the chance of shattered glass shards, as well as the security threats associated with easy penetration, to some extent. It works similar to obscured glass.

Toughened / Tempered Glass

Toughened glass can be utilized in a variety of applications, including shower doors, and shelves. This is because similar to annealed glass, it has the extra virtue of being substantially more resistant to fracture.

The rapid cooling process of toughened glass creates counteracting pressures, so if it breaks, it will shatter into small, square chunks rather than shards, lowering the risk of injury.

Sandblasting the surface gives it a translucent milky-white appearance, making it a popular approach for glass door design that requires privacy but also allows light in.

Insulated Glass

Energy efficiency can be improved by using insulated glass. Insulated window glass is made by combining two or three panes of glass with a desiccant component.

This is an excellent choice for windows if you are interested in reducing heating and cooling costs.

Heat Strengthened Glass

This glass type is either semi-tempered or semi-toughened glass. The heat strengthening procedure boosts annealed glass’s mechanical and thermal strength, making it twice as robust as annealed glass.

When it breaks, the shards are about the same size as annealed glass, but they are more likely to stay together. 

Because of its lower strength relative to tempered or toughened glass, it is rarely requested in balustrades or other structural applications, though it is occasionally specified when tempered glass is concerned about splitting into thousands of little fragments.

Chromatic Glass

Chromatic glass is often used in ICUs, meeting rooms, and other areas where the transparency needs to be controlled and the interior needs to be protected from daylight.

Photochromic glass, which has light-sensitive lamination, thermos-chromatic glass, which has heat-sensitive lamination, and electrochromic glass, which has electric lamination over it, are all examples of chromatic glass.

Tinted Glass

Tinted glass is an excellent choice for spaces where privacy is a top issue. It can be installed in homes, offices and bathrooms. 

Additionally, the greenish tint reduces the amount of harmful ultraviolet light that gets through, which is beneficial to everyone’s health.

Tinted glass has a deeper hue due to the addition of small amounts of metal oxides to the glass composition like obscured glass.

What About Smart Glass in Architecture?

Smart glass has also earned its place in the architectural world. You can get กระจกอัจฉริยะที่สลับได้ for residential and commercial spaces.

Chiefway is one such smart glass Malaysia manufacturer that offers a wide variety of smart glass products to pick from. Here are some of the best-selling types of smart glass in Malaysia. 

Standard Clear Smart Glass

The PDLC film is fitted between the two or more layers of Smart Glass and bonded by high temperatures using a laminated glass method making it a stronger glass. This makes it suitable to be fashioned into different types of glass partition walls. You’ll find this type of smart glass in hotels, condominiums, office conference rooms, medical research facilities, and laboratories.

แก้วสมาร์ทกลวง 

Hollow smart glasses are developed for building exterior windows, providing high-performance sound insulation and heat insulation, as well as being energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. You can apply it when installing glass doors and windows, skylight domes, and building a glass partition wall.

Brilliant Hollow Smart Glass 

The most recent bright color Smart Glass is built on PDLC Glass and uses industry-standard technology. Its other properties include the ability to transition between opaque and see-through glass at the touch of a button, as well as a vivid color environment that further enhances the area. It’s excellent for creating visual impact.

กระจกสมาร์ทกันไฟ 

Fire-resistant glass and regular smart glass were fused to create Fire Proof Smart Glass. This extremely safe glass offers sound insulation, smoke insulation, fire resistance, heat radiation blockage, to give you the priceless peace of mind you’re looking for. 

แก้วอัจฉริยะทางเดียว 

One way แก้วอัจฉริยะ is made up of one-way glass and standard smart glass that has been enhanced with top tier technology. This glass type has high transparency, strong reflective ability, and many other qualities.

This type of glass is frequently used in jails, interrogation rooms, psychiatric wards, university labs, conference halls, and many other places.

Blinds and Pattern Blinds Smart Glass

Blinds Smart Glass is a modern product of smart glass technology that gives you customizable blinds at the push of a button. It is a much more hygienic choice than regular blinds and is extremely versatile.

Some of the best places that can make use of blinds smart glass include corporate offices, hospitals, government, and schools.

Double Glazed Tempered Smart Glass

Double-glazed tempered smart glass is also referred to as insulated glass units made up of two or more panes of glass separated by an air-filled cavity that is entirely sealed.

This creates a transparent insulating barrier between the inside of your home and the outside.

Summary

We hope that you have learned a lot about แก้วอัจฉริยะ and other glass types in modern architecture. It is now important to source your customized smart glass from a well-established and certified supplier like Chiefway. 

Which type of glass or smart glass are you interested in?

Discuss it with our team today! At Chiefway, we offer high quality smart glass that is sure to revolutionize your space.