Introduction
Official or governmental buildings such as embassies or courthouses need security considerations – especially for glazing. They are typically open to the public, but can be at a high risk for attack.
While current design of these building types is centered around conveying openness and not taking on the appearance of a daunting fortress, the security concerns are very real. Glazing is used extensively to meet the design needs of the façade, but also to deliver security from blast, physical and ballistic attack. The extensive use of safety glazing on the inside of these buildings allows for a high level of visual oversight through human and electronic surveillance of space with minimized blind spots. These buildings also need to meet safety, structural, energy and wellness requirements, so the use of high performance interlayers in laminated glass are well suited for these facilities.
Which products fit in?
Eastman has experience with multiple interlayer products being used in the design the glazing for high risk facilities:
- Saflex Clear, the conventional PVB interlayer can be used for:
- Safety: in case of glass breakage from human or accidental impact, the shards of broken glass will remain adhered to the interlayer providing a reduction in cutting or piercing injuries. With properly glazed laminated glass in a framing system, fall through protection may also be provided.
- Storms: laminated glass with adequate interlayer thickness is capable of thwarting wind-borne debris from penetrating the façade and subsequently allowing destructive internal pressurization in severe windstorms such as tropical cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes. The ability of the interlayer to contain the glass shards after breakage has been demonstrated to contribute to enhanced glass retention during seismic activities as well.
- Security: a laminated glass configuration can be incorporated into a system to provide a sufficient level of protection against man-made intentional attacks, including vandalism and burglary, explosion resistance and ballistic assault.
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Saflex Acoustic is an engineered tri-layer interlayer that provides enhanced sound damping between 1000 – 4000 Hertz (Hz) as compared to conventional PVB interlayer. The enhanced performance may allow the glazing construction to be designed using less air space and/or thinner glass to achieve the same sound reduction rating versus conventional and historic practices.
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Saflex Solar, a solar absorbing PVB interlayer, brings improved the solar control by reducing solar heat gain versus clear and conventional laminated glass without coatings. Saflex Solar can also be incorporated into single unit laminated glass with low-emissivity hard coatings or into insulating glass units (IGU) with or without low-emissivity glasses.
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Vanceva® Earth Tones collection and Vanceva Colors interlayers bring forth the possibility of using a large range of color in a façade or as interior glazing without having to increase glass thickness to achieve color intensity, be delayed waiting for colored glass campaigns or ordering large quantities of custom colored glass. Both products provide the flexibility to customize or modify and improve the aesthetic of the façade.
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Saflex Structural PVB interlayer can be used in laminated glass configurations targeted for floors, stairs, fins, balustrades, guards and canopies.
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Saflex High Protection (HP) and Saflex Storm interlayers can be used when enhanced protection from tropical cyclones, typhoons and hurricane force winds with windborne debris are needed.
Furthermore, the various types of Saflex and Vanceva interlayers mentioned above can be combined between two pieces of glass or in the same glazing configuration to improve the overall performance of the glazing system and contribute to the optimum façade performance in high risk facilities.
