GB2214218A

GB2214218A - Glass walling and roofing using glass fin supports

Info

Publication number: GB2214218A
Application number: GB8800018A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kazimierz Jozef Brzezinski
Original assignee: BUILDERS FEDERAL
Current assignee: BUILDERS FEDERAL
Priority date: 1988-01-04
Filing date: 1988-01-04
Publication date: 1989-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2008-01-04
Also published as: GB8800018D0; GB2214218B

Abstract

Glass walling and roofing for a building comprises glass panels 4a, (4b Fig 1) which are supported by glass fins 3a, (3b Fig 1) attached to a structural support. The panels 4a, (4b) are fixed to the fins 3a, (3b) by structural sealant 18. By fixing the panels in position with sealant the use of unsightly brackets or clamps is avoided and the exterior of the building has a very pleasing, all glass facade. <IMAGE>

Description

GLASS WALLING The present invention relates to glass walling for buildings.

The external appearance of a building is of considerable importance. It will affect the "prestiges of a building and consequently the market value of accommodation within the building, as well as the ability of the building to match or stand out from its surroundings.

In many applications, it is desired to provide glass walling on the outside of a building, particularly transparent glass walling in atrium-liked areas.

Hitherto, the overall appearance of glass walling has been impaired by the need to provide a framework around the glass panels and/or visible brackets holding the panels in position.

The present invention provides glass walling or roofing for a building, comprising a structural support, a plurality of glass fins extending laterally from the structural suppport, and a plurality of glass panels mounted on the fins, wherein the glass panels are held in place by a structural sealant between the fins and the panels.

For walling, the glass panels can be held in place by fins above and below and abut laterally adjacent glass panels.

The invention is also applicable to roofing, when the fins may extend generally vertically and the glass panels are seated on upper edges of the fins and located by the sealant.

Other preferred features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying claims.

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an inside elevational view of part of a building having glass walling according to the invention; Figure 2 is a detail on circle A of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a detail on circule B of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows an inside elevational view of part of an atrium. The atrium comprises a structural support in the form a framework of steel beams 1 generally of I shaped cross-section clad in stainless steel tubing 2 for aesthetic appeal. Horizontal and generally vertical glass fins 3 are secured to the beams 1 and support glass panels 4. The panels 4 are attached to the fins 3 by structural sealant which bonds the panels in position. Laterally adjacent panels abut one another, and weather sealant is applied at the abutting edges.

The system is shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3. In Figure 2 a vertical steel I beam la has a steel clamp bar 6a welded to it in between the angular supports 7. A horizontal glass fin 3a is bolted to the clamp bar 6a. The glass fin 3a is sandwiched between the clamp bar 6a and an upper clamp bar 8. A friction pad is provided between the clamp bars 6,8 and the adjacent surfaces of the fin 3a. A bolt 9 passes through apertures 10, 11 in the clamp bars 6, 8 and an aperture 12 in the glass fin 3a. A nylon bush 13 is provided in the aperture 12.

The fin 3a will usually be supported by at least two clamp bars 6 provided on adjacent vertical beams la. The glass fin 3a extends laterally away from the beam la and supports glass panels 4a at its outer end 14. An upper glass panel 4a' rests on its lower edge 15 on the fin 3a and its supported at its upper edge below a corresponding fin 3a, cf upper edge 16 of the lower panel 4a". The fin 3a is arranged to carry the weight of the upper panel 4a' so that the vertical extent of the walling is, in effect, without limit, the panels 4a being carried independently of one another.

The glass panels 4a are bonded at their upper and lower edges 15, 16 to the glass fins 3a by a structural sealant 18. Such sealants are readily available in the art and one preferred form is a silicone composition marketed by the Dow Corning Company under reference DC795.

To fix a panel 4a in position, the panel is lifted into place and small, spaced apart neoprene blocks 17 are used to space the panel from the upper and lower fins 3a. The sealant 18 is then injected into the glass joint in the usual way. The panel is supported against lateral movement by clips or the like whilst the sealant cures, this may take from 1 to 14 days, depending on the sealant used.

Figure 3 shows a system for supporting a glass roof.

Supporting steel I beams Ib extend generally parallel to the plane of the roof and steel clamp bars 6b are welded to the beams lb between angled supports 7b.

Glass fins 3b are bolted to the clamp bars 6b in the same fashion as fins 3a are bolted to the clamp bars 6a. The fins 3b extend at right angles to the plane of the roof. Each fin 3b is supported by at least two clamp bars 6b, and generally each fin 3b extends between at least two beams lb. Glass roofing panels 4b are laid on top of the upper edges 19 of the fins 3b. Each panel 4b is preferably supported at about two ninths of the distance from its edges which run parallel to the fins 3b, the position being calculated so that the upward and downward forces acting on the panels 4b are taken evenly by the joints with the fins 3b. The panels 4b are bonded to the edges 19 of the fins 3b by structural sealant such as a silicone composition 18 as aforesaid, neoprene blocks 17 being used to space the panels 4b from the edges 19.

Adjacent glass panels are bonded together at their upper and lower edges 21, 22 by the structural sealant 18. The edges 21, 22 are chamfered and shaped neoprene blocks 23 serve to space the glass panels apart whilst the sealant sets.

At the junction 24 between the roof panels and the wall panels, the panels can be bonded to one another by the structural sealant.

The glass used for the fins and the wall and roof panels will be chosen to suit the site conditions.

The glass fins 3a, 3b may be of heat soaked glass, the wall panels 4a of tempered clear glass, and the roof panels 4b of laminated clear glass. A typical thickness for the fins and wall panels is l9mm, and for the roof panels 17.5mm, with a panel size of 4.5m by 2.5m high.

It will be appreciated that as the glass thickness is increased or decreased in line with the site conditions, the effective bonding area between the panels and glass fins will be increased or decreased, giving an increased or decreased bond strength.

Various modifications may be made to the described embodiment and it is desired to include all such modifications as fall within the scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. Glass walling or roofing for a building, comprising a structural support, a plurality of glass fins extending laterally from the structural support, and a plurality of glass panels mounted -on the fins, wherein the glass panels are held in place by a structural sealant between the fins and the panels.

2. Glass walling or roofing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glass fins are bolted to clamp bars on the structural support.

3. Glass walling or roofing as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the fins are substantially perpendicular to the glass panels.

4. Glass walling or roofing as claimed in claim 1 2 or 3, wherein the structural support comprises a framework of longitudinal members, and a fin is supported between at least two longitudinal members.

5. Glass walling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an upright glass panel is supported between upper and lower glass fins.

6. Glass walling as claimed in claim 5, wherein laterally adjacent glass panels abut one another, a weather proof sealant being provided between the panels.

7. Glass roofing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a glass panel is supported on an edge of a glass fin.

8. Glass roofing as claimed in claim 7, wherein a glass panel is supported by two generally parallel glass fins.

9. Glass walling or roofing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a glass panel is supported across its full width by one or more glass fins.

10. Glass walling for a building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11. Glass roofing for a building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.