INSULATING GLASS PANELS with METAL INTERLAYER

and OTHER GLASS FACADES

Des Moins Public Library
DAVID CHIPPERFIELD

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

1. General characteristics of the material

2. Technical characteristic of the material
3. Other examples of usage of the material
4. Insulating glass system
5. Comparison and evaluation

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

GENERAL INFO ABOUT THE LIBRARY

SITE PLAN

NAME: DES MOINS PUBLIC LIBRARY

ARCHITECT: David Chipperfield
DATE: 2006
PLACE: Des Moins, Iowa, USA

located in the eastern part of the park acting as a

bridge between urban and landscape areas

the unusual shape of the library allows for a varying

degree of privacy inside the library

the library includes education facilities, childrens areas

and a conference wing with a cafeteria

2-storey concrete structure above underground car

parking
entirely wrapped in a composite glass-metal skin

about 60% of the facade is covered with Okatech

units

the remaining areas, which occur mainly in the

administrative parts, are not transparent but rather are
clad with insulation and aluminum fascia
a green roof provides store water management

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

GENERAL INFO ABOUT THE LIBRARY

SECTION

FLOOR PLANS

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MATERIAL

The triple-glazed panels incorporate a sheet of

expanded copper mesh which reduces glare and
solar gain and provides shade.

The structural silicone jointed panels are 1.2m wide

by 4m high. The entire facade appears to hover
on a 400mm plinth of precast concrete cladding
panels.

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MATERIAL

The triple- glazed panels incorporate a sheet of

expanded copper mesh between the outer panels.
The three. dimensional quality of the copper mesh
reduces glare and solar gain, providing all the
shading from the sun that is necessary.

From the outside, the skin appears opaque, the

view to the inside is blocked by the combined
effects of the reflection and glare from the copper
mesh and the triple llayers of glass.
From the interior, the mesh dematerializes to reveal
a fully glazed building offering generous views out
in all directions.

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MATERIAL

At night the effect is reversed: imbalance between

levels of illumination in the brightly lit interior
causes most of the facade to appear transparent
from the outside.

The mesh also mitigates the intesity of the

sunlight, reducing the need for artificial light to
balance disparities in levels of interior and exterior
illumnination. It functions as a directional natural
light system. This is due to the numerous,
asymmetrically configured metal perforations.

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MATERIAL

MATERIAL LAYERS

SPECTRAL PROPERTIES
1. direct irradiation from high and medium solar altitude
thermal solar control with total solar energy transmittance
values of as low, in particular secondary heat transfer
without solar radiation transmission
glare protection
2. direct irradiation from low solar altitude
partial transmission of the direct sunlight
solar yields on south-facing faades
Light transmission

Tv = 19 - 36 %

for angle of incidence = 0-60

g-value = 19 - 22 %
1. Outermost sheet of glass 8 mm thick, low iron
2. 2 mm of copper interlayer
3. Air cavity
4. Mid-glass sheet 8 mm thick with a low e-coating
5. High performance solar and thermal protection layer
6. 16 mm air cavity
7. 2x 5 mm laminated glass sheets

for angle of incidence = 0-60

LIGHT TRANSMISSION AND TOTAL SOLAR ENERGY

TRANSMITTANCE DEPEND ON THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Thermal insulation
Thermal transmittance

Ug = 1.0-1.2-1.5 W/(m2K)

lower values are possible by adding aditional cavity between the panes

Sound insulation
Depends on the glass assembly

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

EXAMPLES
OF LIGHT DISTRIBUTION FOR INCIDENCE SUN ANGLE 25

clear glass

Okatech

normal view outwards

Okatech

normal view outwards

Okatech

normal view outwards

OF LIGHT DISTRIBUTION FOR INCIDENCE SUN ANGLE 50

clear glass

OF LIGHT DISTRIBUTION FOR INCIDENCE SUN ANGLE 75

clear glass

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov

GLASS BREAKAGE - NIKEL SULFIDE INCLUSIONS

after 21 months, in February 2008 at least 31 tempered
glass panels in their nearly 38,000 ft2 (3,500 m2) curtain wall
had shattered due to nickel sulfide inclusions
the tempered glass was not heat-soak tested in the
process of manufacturing

the panels cost approximately $8,000 each to replace

NIKEL SULFIDE INCLUSIONS OF TEMPERED GLASS

in the glass production process are microscopic imperfections in the glass - INCLUSIONS

nickel sulfide (NiS) inclusions have been shown to cause disastrous failure of tempered glass

when the glass is rapidly cooled to achieve the properties of tempered glass, the NiS remains in a
high-temperature form

over several years, the NiS will return to its low-temperature state, and in the process will increase in
volume

when these windows break, they shatter into thousands of pieces which can fall from panes and
cause injury to inhabitants of the building or pedestrians around it

HEAT - SOAK TESTING

it consists of reheating tempered glass panels for a third time, maintaining it at an elevated
temperature that is still below the phase transfer temperature of NiS for a set time, and then allowing
it to cool

it is still the only method the industry has to eliminate a large portion of nickel sulfide inclusions

Politecnico di Milano | Material for Buildigs | Professor: Sara Goidanich

Students: Viktria Zacharov | Simona abanov