 |
|
Architectural glass
is glass that is used as a building material, fulfilling
an architectural need on a building or another structure.
Examples of architectural glass include glass walls,
glass ceilings, and class facades.
There are many different types of glass associated with
architectural glass.
Cast Glass
Cast glass is a defining characteristic of early Roman
architecture and was used heavily in the villas of Herculaneum
and Pompeii
Cast Plate Glass
The process of creating cast plate glass was first discovered
by James Hartley in 1848. In this process, glass is
taken from a furnace in large iron ladles carried on
slings that are running on overhead rails. The glass
is put from the ladle into a cast iron bed rolling table
and is rolled out into a sheet by an iron roller. The
glass is both rolled and trimmed while it is still hot
and therefore soft.
Crown Glass
Crown glass is created when hot blown glass is cut open
opposite the pipe blowing the hot air. The glass was
then rapidly spun on a table prior to cooling. Centrifugal
force from this process resulted in the glass being
shaped into a flat round sheet. This glass was then
cut to fit rectangular windows, however, the place where
the pipe had originally been located for the hot blowing
left a design referred to as a “bullseye”.
The bullseye often resulted in optical distortions on
the glass.
Cylinder Glass
Cylinder glass is manufactured by glass being blown
into a cylindrical iron mould. The ends are then removed
and an incision is placed down the center of the cylinder.
This cut cylinder is then heated in an oven, which results
in the cylinder unrolling to create a sheet of glass.
Float Glass
The float glass process, which accounts for over 90%
of the world’s flat glass, was invited by Sir
Alastair Pilkinton in 1950. In this process, molten
glass is poured into the end of a tin bath. The glass
floats on the tin, and as it spreads out along the bath,
it evens out, creating a smooth surface on both sides
of the glass. The glass then cools and solidifies as
it continues to travel across the molten tin. A lehr,
which is an oven, is then used to anneal the glass.
Fourcault Process
Fourcault process glass, also known as drawn sheet glass,
is made by placing a leader into a vat of molten glass.
The leader is then pulled straight up. As the leader
comes out of the vat of molten glass, it is covered
in a thin film of glass, which hardens right after being
pulled out of the molten glass. This process is repeated.
Polished Plate Glass
Polished plate glass is first either rolled plate glass
or sheet glass. Typically the pieces of glass are at
fist uneven, creating visual distortions. The rough
uneven areas were then ground down and polished clear,
resulting in clear glass.
Rolled Plate Glass
Also referred to as figured glass, in rolled plate glass,
the plate is cast between two rollers, with one of them
carrying a pattern which is then incorporated into the
glass. Sometimes - but not often - both rollers will
have a pattern. While the glass is still soft, these
rollers are rolled across the glass, resulting in patterns
in the glass. |
|
|
|
|
