Industry technical leaders gathered in Toledo, Ohio, the “Glass City,” in August for the Fall Conference for the National Glass Association. Leading the agenda were discussions of product transparency declarations, need-to-know updates to building codes and standards, and solving glass processing challenges. NGA’s committee volunteers also made progress on a number of important education, technical and advocacy resources.
Forming
The Forming Committee is making headway toward an industry-wide flat glass EPD with a draft being circulated for review. Recyclability and raw material resource management generated productive discussion among attendees. The NGA will be sending out a survey to members of the Forming and Fabricating Committees addressing a range of questions around the topic of recyclability. The Committee has also established a task group to develop a resource on the do’s and don’ts of architectural glass recycling from flat glass manufacturers to fabricators.
Advocacy
The Advocacy Committee highlighted specific goals to promote codes, standards and regulations that positively affect glass in the built environment; educate the industry, stakeholders and consumers about the benefits of glass; and increase communication and education about the importance of NGA advocacy initiatives. Committee members discussed how to address daylighting in interior space to support health care, education and office environments and occupant well-being by developing language to propose to the International Building Code. In addition, the committee will be launching a new program to equip interested members to advocate on behalf of the industry to their legislative and regulatory representatives.
Fabricating
Within the Fabricating Committee, the Tempering Subcommittee has accomplished a number of important updates this year. Documents on Point Supported Glass and Thermal Stress in Heat-Treated Spandrel Applications have been published, as well as the ever-important Engineering Standards Manual. Topics addressing post-finishing and frameless shower enclosures were brought up as new work items.
The re-publication of the Laminated Glazing Reference Manual and the Hurricane Product Substitution bulletin are two major accomplishments of the Laminating Subcommittee. Resources on school security, glass floors and stairs, and deflection testing remain key activities being finalized.
Within the Protective Glazing Subcommittee, the Protective Glazing 101 AIA presentation is nearly ready to be republished and approved with AIA. This will be a resource for members to use as they perform lunch-and-learns with their area contacts. Resources on bird-friendly and security glazing are also under development.
The Energy Subcommittee has published its new bulletin, Energy Applications. It is also reviewing and maintaining its online resources at glasswebsite.com/daylighting, which presents a library of publications available on the benefits of view and daylighting.
The Insulating Subcommittee is developing the new resource Fabricator Considerations for Large Glass Products. In addition, the Vacuum Insulating Glazing task group is developing an introductory educational document on the capabilities of VIG products. The Compatibility Testing of Glazing Materials Related to the Performance of PIB in IGUs resource was a joint effort between NGA and the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance, which is now available online for purchase. A joint task group is also in the process of developing a compatibility test procedure in order to recommend performance criteria of PIB.
The Fire-Rated Glazing Subcommittee will be addressing relevant text within the Glazing Manual in order to describe the enhanced and broadened uses of fire-rated glazing products for other purposes such as energy performance and security.
The Mirror Subcommittee will be updating its Green Aspects of Mirror, specifically addressing the use of copper-free mirror product.
In the Decorative Subcommittee, the Decorative Glass Strength Properties document is updated and now available to download online. The group also continues to work the resources on Defining an Acceptable Color Variance, Measuring Color Variance in the Field, Best Practices for Installed Decorative Paints, and How to View Decorative Products in Interior and Exterior Applications.