1 of 23 ‘onfidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. More Facades Confidential Stories about fagade design, technology, materials, history and performance. From architecture t maintenance to you name it... Plus lists of fagade consultants and fagade contractors around the \ Home Facade Consultants Facade Contractors Facade Testing Laboratories Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Acoustic properties of glass: not so simple. Sort by date Show all posts Acoustic properties of glass: not so simple At Arup, working with different specialists creates many opportunities to learn from each other. § metimes one forgets that engineers who know everything about dark matters as, climatic loads in glass or intricacies of structural silicone may not have a clue about the acoustic performance of a window. ‘That's why these questions keep coming to my desk (remember I'm an incurable generalist in the facades world): what effect does glass thickness have in the acoustics of a double glass unit? Or what matters more in the acoustical performance of insulated glass: the thickness in a monolithic pane, the effect of lamination or the dimension of the cavity? Here you will find some graphical answers to these questions. As usual a number of hidden surprises will come out from the data mining Let us start by reviewing two concepts that are paramount to measuring glass performance against noise: loudness (in particular sound pressure level, the decibels thing) and frequency (the Hertz, not related to car rental) 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. 1/ Loudness: sound intensity, sound pressure and sound pressure level From physics to applied acoustics in buildings. No pain, promised. Loudness is an intuitive concept: a loud noise usually has a larger pressure variation and a weak one has a smaller pressure variation. Depending on what we are looking for - the cause, the effect or the perception of noise - we use different variables and units: ‘© Sound intensity refers to the cause of noise (not of our concern, only of interest for acusticians). It measures energy flow at the source, so its unit is W/m2. * Sound pressure refers to the effect of noise as a wave impacting any given surface, that is, noise as energy being transfered through air. Not of our concem either, more for physicists. Its unit is the Pascal or N/m2 (Pa — IN/m2). * Sound pressure level or SPL (here comes the fun) refers to the perception of noise in humans as it can be "read" by our ears, So SPL is what matters to us, poor construction buddies. For ease of numbering SPL is measured in decibels (dB). A dB is a dimensionless unit used to express logarithmically the ratio of a value (the measured sound pressure) to a reference value (the lower threshold of hearing). Decibels are used since sound pressure level expressed in Pa would be too wide. 0 dB (the lower threshold of audition for humans) equals 0,00002 Pa; whilst 140 dB (the upper human threshold or threshold of pain) equals 200 Pa. This is a range of 140 against 10 million, But logarithms are not “natural” to understand, so some examples will be of help. Sound intensity, sound pressure and sound pressure level are obviously related, but they measure different things and they should not be confused. The table below, taken from the very useful Sengpiel audio webpage provides some tips for getting it right, at least conceptually: Lessons from the table above: * A raise in sound pressure level (SPL) of 3 dB equals an increase in sound pressure (field quantity) of 1.414 times, and (everything else being equal) it comes as a result of doubling the sound intensity (the source of sound). + A reduction in sound pressure level measured inside a room of 10 dB equals a reduction in sound pressure of 3.16 times, and it comes as a result of dividing the sound intensity (noise generated on the outside) by ten. ‘A typical opaque fagade (not glass) can have a sound reduction index (a reduction of SPL) of around 40 dB, This means that if the SPL measured at the street is 70 dB, inside the fagade one would perceive only 30 dB. Up to here, just arithmetic, 2 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/sear .coustic + properties. JAcoustic Power Sound Intensity Volume Loudness +40 dB 16 +30 dB 8 +20 dB 4 +10 dB 2.0 = double 1.52 times 1.23 times 0.816 times 0.660 times 0.707 times 0.5 = half 0.5 = half . 0.25 0.01 0.125 0.001 0.0625 0001 Psycho quan’ En quant dB change __|Loudness multip! Power multiplier ‘SPL variation (left column) related to sound pressure (field quantity) and sound intensity (energy quantity) Now, if the sound reduction index of the fagade could be raised from 40 to 43 dB, the perceived noise coming from the street would equal that of reducing the source of noise by half. Even more, if the fagade could be acoustically improved so that its sound reduetion index raised from 40 to 50 4B (difficult but it can be done), the perceived noise coming from the street would equal that of reducing the source of noise (sound intensity) by ten: ten times less cars in the street, ten times less people celebrating the victory of their football team outside. Table of sound levels L (loudness) and corresponding sound pressure and sound intensity Sound Sources (Noise)|Sound Pressure| a ny ee ai Im? = Pa Examples with distan ound field quantitysound energy quantity, [Jet aireraf, 60 m away 200 700 [Thresho'd of pain 632 10 [Threshold of discomfort 20 1 (Chainsaw, 1 m distance 65 on [Disco, 1 m‘rom speaker [Diesel truck, 10 m away x 0.007 Kerbside of busy road, 5m 02 0.000% 0.065, 0.00007 [Conversational speech, 1 m 0.02 0.000007 [Average home 0.0063 0.000007 [Quiet library 0.002 0.00000007 [Quiet bedroom at right 0.00063, 0.000000007 [Background in TV studio. 0.0002 0.0000000007 [Rusting leaves in the distance| 0.000063 0.00000000007 [Threshold of hearing 0.00002 (0,000000000007 3 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. Expected sound pressure levels for different noises and their equivalent sound pressure and sound intensity Source: We got the point: sound pressure level measured in dB (sometimes indicated as dB-SPL) is critical for architectural physics - a small variation can make a lot of difference. But loudness (sound expressed as pressure variation) is not the only story. Noise - what we want to avoid inside our buildings - is the mixture of sounds of different "quality", some are bass, some are treble. Is our fagade or our glass pane capable of stopping each of these "noise qualities" in the same percentage? Could an envelope act as a barrier for bass and a filter for treble? What do bass and treble have to do with noise? 2/ Frequency of sound Sound is the quickly varying pressure wave travelling through a medium, When sound travels through air, the atmospheric pressure varies periodically (it kind of vibrates). The number of pressure variations per second is called the frequency of sound, and it is measured in Hertz (Hz) which is defined as the number of cycles per second. SUE RAL ©1994 Eneye wave; (C)ttenene epreetton fhe wan honing atid (A) and ware QS The higher the frequency, the more high-pitched a sound is perceived. Sounds produced by 40f23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. drums have much lower frequencies than those produced by a whistle, The unit of frequency is the Hertz (Hz). For a sound vibration to be audible to human beings the object must vibrate between 20 and 20,000 times per second. In other words the audible sound has a frequency of between 20 and 20,000 Hz. High-pitched sounds (treble) have a frequency much greater than bass sounds. The treble frequency ranges between 2,000 and 4,000 Hz while the bass range from 125 to 250 Hz. | i Quieter | / ’ Louder | Deeper pitch ~ | \ ) \ / \ / Higher pitch Above: measure of loudness (wave height). The higher the louder. Below: measure of frequency (wave length), Bass sound has long waves, treble has short waves. Bad news: frequency and loudness are interrelated in the human ear. The range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz is called the andible frequency range - we know this already. But the sounds we hear are a mixture of various frequencies, and we don't perceive all of them with the same clarity, Let's see what the implication of this is, ‘The entire audible frequency range can be divided into 8 or 24 frequency bands known as octave bands or 1/3 octave bands respectively for analysis. An octave band is the band of frequencies in which the upper limit of the band is twice the frequency of the lower limit. Any particular sound or noise can be represented as a number of 8 (or 24) sound pressure levels in the frequency bands, as illustrated by the diagram below. ci The response of the human ear to sound is dependent on the frequency of the sound. The 5 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. Sound Pressure Level, dB 63 125 250 500 1k 2k 4k 8k Frequency, Hz A real sound shown as a combination of different sound presure levels, one per each of the 24 frequeney bands. Column width: 1/3 octave band (24 in total), Column height: SLP at each frecuency band, measured in dB. human ear has its peak response around 2,500 to 3,000 Hz and has a relatively low response at low frequencies. Hence, the single sound pressure level obtained by simply adding the contribution from all 1/3 octave bands together will not correlate well with the non-linear frequeney response of the human ear. This has led to the concept of weighting scales. The following diagram shows the weighting” scale: 6 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/sear Sound Pressure Level, dB 31.5 1,000 2,000 16,000 Frequency, Hz Reduction of SPL (in dB) at frequencies below and above 2000 to 3000 Hz to reflect the frequency response of the human ear. In the "A-weighting" scale, the sound pressure levels for the lower frequency bands and high frequency bands are reduced by certain amounts before they are being combined together to give one single sound pressure level value. This value is designated as dB(A). The dB(A) is often used as it reflects more accurately the frequency response of the human car, Other, less used weighting scales, are dB(B) and dB(C). The decibel C filter is practically linear over several octaves and is suitable for subjective measurements at very high sound pressure levels, The decibel B filter is between C and A. The three filters are compared below: ene Frequency (Hz) (us) 315 63. 125—-250 500-1000 2000 4000 8000 dB(A) 394 -262 16.1 8.6 32 0 12 1 Ad ‘dB(B) 17 8 “4 a 0 0 0 a 3 dB(C) 3 08 02 0 0 0 02 08 3 Noise filtering at different octaves of frequency applying decibel filter scales A, B or C. 7 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. That was enough for theory. Let us now see how all this affects the performance of glass as a real acoustic barrier. The four hand-sketched graphs shown here below are all taken from the first edition of a great book called "Deiailing for acoustics", written by Peter Lord and Duncan Templeton, There are three editions by now and I highly recommend buying one if you are an architect interested in acoustic issues applied to buildings. 3/ Glass thickness effect ‘The sound attenuation of any material depends on its mass, stiffness and damping characteristics. With a single glass pane the only effective way to increase its performance is to increase the thickness, because stiffiness and damping cannot be changed, The sound transmission loss for a single glass pane, measured over a range of frequencies, varies thickne: depending on gla Thicker glass tends to provide greater sound reduction even though it may actually transmit more sound at specific frequencies. Every glass pane thickness has a weak frequency value; that is, a frequency for which that glass is less ‘noise absorbent’ than for the others. That value is known as critical frequency. See the graphic below: SOUND REDUCTION INDEX 4B Ei HO IK 27K 4K ANOLE GLAZING 8 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. 9 of 23 Sound reduction (in dB) measured at different frequency bands for glass panes of different thickness. Source: Detailing for Acousties, Lord and Templeton. A4 mm-thick glass is rather transparent (poor attenuation measured in dB) for high frequencies at the range of 3500 Hz; 6 mm-thick glass is poor for frequencies around 2000 Hz; and 10 mm-thick glass performs bad at 1300 Hz. The higher the mass the less of a problem critical frequency appears to be: 25 mm-thick glass has no weak point as it can be noted from the graph above. An insulating glass unit built with two panes of the same thickness experiences the issue of critical frequency: it is said that the two panes vibrate (resonate) together at that frequency, thus reducing the glass overall acoustic performance, For this reason we recommend 1g different thickness in a double glass unit, A 6-12-4 mm glass will absorb more sound at high frequencies of 2000 Hz (claxon noise) than a 6-12-6 mm glass, in spite of having less mass. On the other hand, at lower frequencies between 125 and 250 Hz (traffic noise) this is not the case: a 6-12-6 mm glass reduces sound more effectively than a 6-12-4 mm glass. At low frequencies sound attenuation is directly proportional to mass. 4/ Laminated vs. monolithic glass A laminated glass will attenuate sound transmission more than a monolithic glass of the same mass. See the graph below: A laminated glass of 2+2 mm reduces sound at high frequencies considerably more than a monolithic glass 4 mm-thick (that's 8 to 10 dB of additional attenuation). Why? because the critical frequency effect disappears due to the sound damping provided by polyvinyl butyral (the soft interlayer used to permanently bond the glass panes together dissipates energy by vibration). The same applies to the 3+3 mm laminated against the monolithic 6 mm. In contrast, at low frequencies (traffic noise) the effect of butyral is less pronounced, although itis still positive (about 2 dB increase). 5/ Air cavity effect Surprise: a standard double glazed unit does not reduce sound transmission much more than a monolithic glass. What matters is the thickness of the air space between glass panes, but only for really wide cavities. ‘The acoustic attenuation of a 6-12-6 mm glass is generally superior to that of a monolithic 6mm-thick glass, but only by 2 or 3 dB, and still there may be low frequency bands where the DGU performs worse, Of course if we compare a 6 mm-monolithic with a double glazed 12-6-10 mm, the sound reduction is much better at the double glazed unit. What really matters is the width of the air space, not the small one found at double glazing but the one of a double skin. The ideal cavity width to boost sound attenuation is 200 mm. 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/sear 10 of 23. GAN LAMINATED | 4AM LAMINATED Ss FF Fs FREQUENCY HZ. GEFECT OF LAMINATION Sound absortion of monolithic (solid) glass compared to laminated glass with the same mass. Source: Detailing for Acoustics, Lord and Templeton, For widths less than (or greater than) 200 mm the effect less noticeable (although a wide air space will always perform better than a narrow one). A double glazing with 10 mm air space performs almost like a 20 mm airspace. 6/ Combined air cavity & glass thickness effect The conclusion comes in the last graph: a combination of large thickness, different one between the two panes and wide air space distance (even better if we use laminated glass) provides the maximum noise attenuation, We can reach up to 45dB. To achieve this with a conventional double glazing width (about 28-35mm only) we have to employ an acoustic interlayer or a sort of resin between two panes in a laminated glass combined within a DGU. These acoustic interlayers or resins dissipate sound waves much more than two or three PVB interlayers as in a typical laminated glass. Some brands of enhanced acoustical laminated products are: © Pilkington Optiphon. 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/sear 11 of 23 6-100-6 DOURLE GLAZING fNs & a \ fo me y i 641-6 DOURLE GLALING - aon FF ge * OF 6 SINILE GLALING ZOUND REDUCTION INPEX 4B mB BM 2 Kk 1K = 4K EFFECT OF AIRSPACE WIDTH ON DOUPAL OLALING Effect of air space width on the acoustic performance of double glazing. Source: Detailing for Acoustics, Lord and Templeton. # Saint Gobain Stadip Silence, * AGC Thermobel Phonibel © Viracon Saflex SilentGlass, What about the effect of using argon or krypton instead of air? In theory, a higher density gas in the space between panes should have a positive effect on acoustical performance. Comparison testing of standard symmetrical insulating units indicates though that common gases as argon have virtually no increased effect on sound attenuation ratings. While some improvement was noted at some frequencies, resonance effects actually became more pronounced. 7, Some useful values Rw index: The Rw index or sound reduction index (expressed in decibels) measures, in just ‘one number, the acoustic performance of a specific glass unit. The higher the Rw index, the better the level of acoustic insulation offered by that glass composition. The Rw index of 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. 10-1006" DoueLe % GAN SRvyxs ad % 500 IK 2K AK EFFECT OF GLAS THICKNESS AND AIR ACE ON DOUPLE GLAZING Combined effect of glass thickness and air space on the acoustic performance of double glazing, Source: Deiailing for Acoustics, Lord and Templeton, 12 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. SGG Stadip Silence effect as part of a double glazed unit, Other brands perform similarly. By the way, the scale below is not frequency but loudness (it measures dB). Taken from Saint Gobain Stadip Silence brochute. index of around 50 dB. Rw isa single figure rating for the airborne sound insulation of building elements (not just glass). It includes a weighting for the human ear and measures actual sound transmittance. Rw is measured in a laboratory, not on site (the site-measured equivalent value has the Egyptian denomination of Dixy). The Rw value is merely an average simplifying mutual comparison of various building components. That can be confusing some times. Two glass units can have the same Rw index while one of them performs well at low frequencies and bad at high ones, and the other one performs just the opposite. C and Cr factors: To slightly avoid this issue two spectrum adjustment factors: C and Cr, have been added to modulate the Rw average. For sound waves featuring high frequencies, the factor C is added to the Rw value, For lower frequencies, factor C needs to be added. The acoustic behaviour of a building component is hence defined by three numbers: Rw (C, Cs). A building component with the values Rw (C, Cx) = 40 (-1, 4) provides an average insulation performance of 40 dB. For higher pitched sounds the sound insulation is lessened by 1 dB (39 dB) and for lower pitched sound sources it is lessened by 4 dB (36 dB). The table below, extracted from Saint Gobain, helps showing how these three numbers apply to different laminated units with acoustic interlayers: Sound Insulation Values (single-glazed) Rw in dB c Cer Type Thickness 35 3 soc STADIP SILENCE 6.4 6mm 37 1 3 soo STADIP SILENCE 8.4 8mm 38 1 3 ses STADIP SILENCE 10.4 10 mm 39 ° 2 sos STADIP SILENCE 12.8 13 mm 40 1 3 see STADIP SILENCE 14.8 15 mm 41 o -3 sos STADIP SILENCE 16.8 17 mm 42 o 2 sos STADIP SILENCE 20.4 20mm 45 a 3 sos STADIP SILENCE 25.5 26 mm Sound reduction index values for several laminated glass units with acoustic interlayers. The thickness shown the right column is the total one. 13 mm means 6 mm * 6 mm + 0.8 mm interlayer, Taken from Saint Gobain Stadip Silence brochure. C takes into account medium and high frequency noise sources such as TV, music, loud conversations or aircraft noise a short distance away. C takes into account medium and low frequency noise sources such as urban traffic noise or aircraft noise a long distance away 13 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. 14 of 23 Pink Noise: Expressed in dB(A), this is an assessment of the sound insulating properties of a building material over specified standard frequencies, which represent general activity noise when equal levels of power are applied at each frequency. So, in pink noise each octave carries an equal amount of noise power. Funnily: the name arises from the pink appearance of visible light with this power spectrum, Ra: Rais the abbreviation for the sound reduction index when the spectrum adaptation. term C is applied to the single number weighted sound reduction index (Rw), using pink noise as a sound source, Ra,tr: Ra,tr is the abbreviation for the sound reduction index when the spectrum adaptation term Cs is applied to the single number weighted sound reduction index (Rw) using pink noise as a sound source, should now be less of a dark matter for us. But this is not all: remember that detailing to achieve a proper air tightness between glass So far so good. Acoustic performance of glass and frame will always be required! Loose gaskets can severely harm the best glass selection for acoustics. Posted by Ignacio Fernindez Solla at 144.comments: Sal Labels: building science, technology 14 November 2010 Will transparent polymers kill glass? A silent revolution is taking place these days. Due to a number of reasons, the glass position as the one and only transparent filling for curtain walls is being threatened. Who is the new kid on the block? Well, it has been around for a while, but it has grown bigger now: transparent recyclable polymers, commonly called thermoplastics This was the situation up to now. Glass is still in complete command if we want to clad a facade with a transparent, low U-value, durable and non combustible material. A curtain wall is still synonym for a glass curtain wall. But things are starting to change, and the big polymers suppliers have focused their attention onto the new frontier: to 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/sear Taig gas and aye canton tncire, Doves! Masrame The attack of the polymers has already started, in the way barbarians entered the Roman empire: as an alliance. If you need a good bullet resistant glass you will end up in a laminate called glass-clad polycarbonate. Beware: the higher the bullet resistance requirements, the less glass there will be in the laminate. If you are after a blast-resistant curtain wall, the options are heavy PVB laminated glass (1.52mm or more of polyvinyl butiral layers) or glass combined with an ionoplastic interlayer as SetryGlas, in widths of 2.28mm or more, If you want to have overhead glazing or horizontal glass with live loads, there you will find the plastic companions again, Structural glass is in fashion, and you may want to achieve all-glass, non metal- supported transparent structures. When you do that, most of the time it's due to the help of polycarbonate sheets glued to the glass with transparent polyurethane interlayers, Tayo Iteration Foran, lan canopy dea PMN wa ot eque src at i ar ded a aety mean oi poo an etna intendune Trancnarant Camnacite Barada (TOBY in Haw nf Glace Curtain Walle (GOWN, 15 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. Ihave taken the TCF name from a PhD dissertation in the University of Michigan, submitted by Kyoung-Hee Kim in 2009, and advised by Professor Harry Giles. The title is, Structural evaluation and life cycle assessment of a Transparent Composite Facade system. Thave also got ideas for this post from a presentation at the last Glasstec conference in Sept 2010: New materials for transparent constructions, by Eckhardt and Stahl. Prion Curl Corr in Wes Male California by PATTERN Archit. Tramlcant face ern bae compose plerbamte, $F, an aranced materia fication compar specializing on resend composites, ha collaborated one ice slat, The contenders to take the place of glass in curtain walls are four thermoplastics: polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA or acrylic), polyethylene terephthalate (PET or nylon) and polypropylene (PP). PET and PP are still lagging behind in the race, mostly because of their low stiffness and low ultimate strength. PET and PP have a Young's modulus 1/7 and 1/2 that of polycarbonate and acrylic, and their ultimate strenght is 1/3 that of polycarbonate and acrylic, The main advantages of polycarbonate and acrylic, on the other hand, is that they are 20 times less brittle than glass and their ultimate streght can be two times higher than glass (see data on the table below). So, we will focus on polycarbonate and PMMA / acrylic from now on. Thermoplastic Polycarbonate] Polyesters [Polypropsten¢|psumisataeylae) PC Per PP so ‘Mechanical Properties Demsity @) Mews | 1ieia1 | 1-140 | ossos2 Tieiaz | 24025 E-modils za [Osea | oo188 22438 e7 Poison’s Ratio @) o3e04 | OM on O3T-OAS Oz ‘Yield Stenath (e,) MPs | 386-700 | 130-722) 207-372 | 40-860 aa imate Suenath ay] MPa | 0-724 [970-850] 172-310 | 303-100 315 Elongation at yield % 600-800 | 200-500 | $00-37.0 - 0 Elongation at break % 10-125 | 300-900 | 100-600 | 350-400 0 From ‘terial desi by hb amd aso plus wremaroecom Some may say these two materials have been around for too long to worry about them now. That is true, but doesn't tell the whole story. Let's call them by their best-known brands: polycarbonate is better known as Lexan, Makrolon or Danpalon. PMMA / acrylic is sold 16 of 23. 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. 17 of 23. under the brands Plexiglas, Lucite or Perspex. Polycarbonate, either in solid or in multilayered sheets, has found a safe place in architecture as a translucent wall cladding, not transparent, A great example is the Laban Dance Centre in Southern London, a proyect by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron with PC sheets supplied by Rodeca in Germany. ‘The cladding on the Laban Centre has four layers with a U-value of 1.45 W/m2°K, better than a low-e double glass unit. But present multiwall polycarbonate sheets, only 60mm. thick, have already reduced the U-value to 0.85W/m2°K, in the range of a triple glass with argon and low-e coatings. Polycarbonate can also reduce reliance on secondary solar control; the panels used at the Laban Centre feature dimpled inner skins that diffuse the light. Concems over the durability and UV resistance of polycarbonate have now been reduced thanks to new film protection technology. Manufacturers now guarantee that the polycarbonate will lose no more than 1% of its transparency over the first 10 years. All this is fine, but this is still a translucent wall, a cladding material for gyms, dance centres, swimming pools or industrial buildings. The next step for solid polycarbonate and acrylic is to become the transparent filling ofa curtain wall, both in the fix elements and in the windows. A transparent composite facade (TCF) is well described by Kyoung- Hee Kim's dissertation as: A composite construction consisting of a polymer double skin with an inner composite cares meomarwrcrean tec core, configured to provide a stiffer, safer, energy efficient 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. 18 of 23. and lightweight alterative to a glass fagade system. This new ‘glazing’ system has spurred studies that evaluate the material performance of polymer and composites as a cladding material. The polymer skin has a sustainable characteristic due to its recyclability, which can help to reduce the environmental impact associated with raw material depletion and disposal. Let's use an existing example to visualize the new TCF coming. Kalvwall is a well known US translucent facade and skylight system, whose filling material by the way is a thermo- set polymer reinforced with fiberglass, with modified properties regarding UV-resistance and reaction to fire. The basic panel comes in standard dimensions and is installed as a very simple curtain wall unit sistem. (iy ington Coleg, Lon. a Henge a Hawa rcs Kal and las cade The best version of Kalwall, pushed by Stoakes (the UK distributor) to comply with EU directives, has really low U-values by using thermally broken profiles combined with aerogel insulation, Even without aerogels you can have a 100mm panel, filled with polycarbonate fibres, with a U-value of 0.83W/m2°K and a solar factor of 0.15. But, alas, it's still translucent. Now, imagine you replace the fiberglass reinforced thermoset at both sides of the panel with a high resistant solid policarbonate sheet, and add some intermediate transparent sheets to improve its U-value and acoustic performance. The outcome would be something similar to Kalwall - with the same Japanese paper-like rectangular pattern - but wholly transparent, no glass required whatsoever. Stop imagining, this concept is already being developed somewhere in Europe. If we move to PMMA / acrylic, a similar story is being written these days. The material can be easily molded to achieve fuzzy shapes at a cost which is only a fraction of glass. In solid state, acrylic sheets can be cut and mechanized using laser cut CNC machines to provide extrusion-like profiles. A great example is the facade of the Reiss HQ building in London by Squire and Partners architects, with a machined PMMA external skin, and lit with an LED system at the bottom of each floor level. 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. Evonik Réhm, the company that owns the Plexiglas brand, was founded by Mr Réhm, the inventor of PMMA in 1933. After almost 40 years, the Olympic stadium in Munich by Frei Otto is still a forward-looking piece of architecture. The complex grid of steel cables was 19 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/sear 20 of 23 ‘eis Lond Artic ling proces and fish facade pe. clad with a solid, tinted Plexiglas sheet to provide shelter against the summer sun rays. Need versatility? The monolithic thickness of PMMA is 200mm in a dimension of 3 x 8m - larger than glass, and you can even weld acrylic with hidden joints for bigger units. In the extrusion process you can obtain 25mm thickness, a width of 2m and no limit with length. Obmpic Sadun. Mich 1972. ret Ot and Ger Boris Curving a polymer is easy, but equally so is molding. Transparent facades as the one at the Liquid Wall in Berlin, the flagship store of Raab Karcher, would be a nightmare in glass, but are feasible in acrylic. Home Couture Berlin is a showroom for tiles and spa accessories. The store provides an ideal presentation platform for Raab Karcher and its joint-venture partners from the premium tile and bathroom fittings sector. The store functions as an elongated shop window for passers-by. The ‘liquid wall’ installation of milled Plexiglas appears as a vertical wall of water and serves as an eye-catcher in the Ku'Damm facade. The distorting lens makes the illuminated back wall oscillate as you wander past it. The shop window has been made after a 50mm Plexiglas sheet milled, formed and polished to get convex and concave surfaces. This form creates an effect of a moving room while walking by the window, as if the inside were a swimming pool. If you need more inspiration, have a look at these four polymer materials suppliers: 301m, Panelite, Lightblocks and Krystaclear. These are all US-based companies at the verge of another revolution: they are not just suppliers, but also fabricators, engineers, materials 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. researchers and high-end designers. They are in the front of the ‘design to manufacture’ concept that is changing the way materials are used. And they are all based in polymers, When you can't win your enemies, join them. Another interesting product is Gewe- aah Kc asi ster, ern composite by the German glass supplier Schollglas. This laminated safety glass made with two sheets of glass and an intermediate 2mm polymeric membrane, can replace thicker glass-PVB laminates, is very easy to cold bend and does not stop UV radiation, thus making it very appropriate for winter gardens. The Amazonienhaus botanical greenhouse in Stuttgart is a good example of high UV-transmission, low-e coating composite transparent cladding. Another striking use of this composite in a bent application - non heat mold required - is the Mobile Formula I Event Centre for MeLaren in the UK. The cold bent composite here integrates metal sheets and comes with a highly selective coating, 21 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n...__http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. There are still issues to solve and improve with thermoplastics before they can replace glass in curtain walls. Even if their mechanical properties are OK in general (impact resistance being great in particular) long term creep deformation is a clear disadvantage. The elastic modulus of extruded polycarbonate, for example, can be reduced to 40% after 1000 hours of constant loading. Regarding durability, polymers and acrylics offer a lower durability and weatherability under outside exposure compared to glass. Coated protections against UV have improved this, but there is still a way to go. The yelowness index (YI) measures discoloration levels under UV exposure, and values above YI-8 are not recommended for external use. Another issue that must be integrated in the design is the thermal movement of plastics. ‘The coefficient of thermal expansion of both polycarbonate and PMMA is 6 to 7 times greater than that of glass. Beware of the expansion pockets and frame movements! Abrasion resistance of plastics has improved with external coatings, but its value is still 2 to 4 times lower than that of glass. The biggest issue with plastics as external facade elements is probably their flammability or fire reaction. On one side, PC, PMMA and glass all conform to the flammability requirements of the ASTM codes. However, full compliance with the International Building Code (IBC) has to be checked case by case. The IBC limits the installation of plastic glazing to a maximum area of 50% of a building facade, Itis interesting to note that the U-value of a single layer of 6mm of transparent glass, polycarbonate or acrylic is practically the same: between 5,2 and 5,8W/m2°K (glass being the highest). We get a similar result with g-value and light transmittance: uncoated glass and polycarbonate transmit the same amount of solar and visible radi slightly more transparent in both cases. But when we introduce selective coatings, glass ion, while acrylic is performs much better than plastics in energy and visible light terms. Up to now, though. Nobody knows the end of this story. Will new recyclable polymers completely replace glass as a transparent filling for curtain walls? It seems uncertain, but at least I would vote for a future co-habitation of both materials. If I had money to invest in the stock market, I would buy plastic shares rather than Saint Gobain ones. Well, don't follow my advice too quickly: Saint Gobain is investing in plasties right now, so think twice... Posted by Ignacio Femindez Solla at 09:09 74 comments: Bg Labels: materials, technology Home Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) 22 of 23 21-03-2021, 15:19Fagades Confidential: Search results for Acoustic properties of glass: n... /hitp://facadesconfidential. blogspot.com/search?q=Acoustic+ properties. ‘Characteristics of Polymers and Glass Pros ‘Cons Pc Easy to bond and connect ‘High processing temperature Easy to manufacture curved forms : High creep resistant ‘Low heatflame resistant High impact resistant ‘Low UV resistant High service temperature Low - Recyclable ‘Susceptible to moisture absorption PET ‘Tough and npnd Low resistant to acids and bases Ease of manufactunng ow heat/fame resistant Recyclable Low solvent resistant Laphiveeieht PMMA. Easy to bond and connect Baile Easy to manufacture curved forms ‘Low weatherabilty High UV resistant ‘Low heat/flame resistance Recyclable ‘Susceptible to moisture absorption Lightweight PP Ease of manufacturing Low UV resistant Low coefficient of fiction Low weatherability ‘High moisture resistant Low heat/flame resistance High fatipue resistant Low bond ability High abrasion resistant Low solvent resistant High service temperature High chemical resistant High flexural strength High impact | Recyclable Lightweight Glass UV resistant Heavy weight Recyclable High heat conductivity Low embodied energy Brittle High service temperature Expensive to manufacture curved sheet High heat resistant From “Industral plastics,” by E. Lokensgard, 2004 23 of 23 Copyright Ignacio Fernandez Solla, Simple theme. Powered by Blo 21-03-2021, 15:19