Industry Knowledge

U-shaped glass, also known as trough glass, is a kind of architectural profile glass that is made of waste glass and quartz sand as the main raw materials, and is continuously produced through high-temperature melting at about 1470℃, calendering, annealing and other processes. Its cross-section is U-shaped. As a unique architectural glass material, it has extensive and important applications in the field of construction.

From the production process, U-shaped glass is continuously produced by calendering, and the molding temperature is about 1470℃. During the production process, metal mesh can be added to enhance the strength, and a variety of decorative textures can be made with the help of engraved calendering rollers, which provides more possibilities for its subsequent decorative applications.

According to product characteristics, U-shaped glass can be divided into different categories. In terms of surface state, there are 5 types: standard fine patterns, wavy patterns, fine stripes, thick point embossing, and transparent; according to mechanical properties, it is divided into ordinary type (bending strength 70MPa), tempered type (bending strength 150MPa), and film-enhanced type; in terms of color processing, there are surface effects such as natural color, glaze coloring, and sandblasting.

U-shaped glass has many core properties. In terms of optics, the light transmittance of a single-layer installation can reach 85%, and diffuse reflection can reduce light pollution. The light transmittance of a double U-shaped hollow structure can be controlled below 50%; in terms of thermal engineering, the heat transfer coefficient can be as low as 1.84W/(m²・K), and the insulation effect is increased by 30% after filling with insulation materials; in terms of mechanics, the bending strength of the standard type is ≥70MPa, and the tempered type can reach 150MPa, which can withstand the stress caused by the deformation of the building structure.

In architectural applications, U-shaped glass can be used as a non-load-bearing wall without additional horizontal support. There are many typical cases, such as the curtain wall of the Shanghai Glass Museum, the double-layer curtain wall of the Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base, the special-shaped curved exterior wall of the Chile Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, the light-transmitting partition wall of the Wanhe Haomei Art Hotel, the curved landscape partition of the Ningbo Jiuzhuli project, the lighting roof of the airport terminal (designed according to the DIN-1249 standard), and the luminous wall of the art gallery (for night lighting scenes).

However, the construction of U-shaped glass must comply with certain technical requirements. Elastic gaskets and flexible sealing materials must be used to treat the joints. The width of the joints must meet the expansion and contraction requirements of the annual temperature difference of ±15mm. The height of a single glass piece shall not exceed 6 meters, and the radius of curvature shall not be less than 500mm. The vertical deviation of the installation shall be ≤5mm when the height is ≤5m, and ≤7mm when the height is 5-7m. The load must be directly transferred to the main structure of the building through the aluminum frame. It is prohibited to use it as a load-bearing component. A 10-20mm air layer must be set for double-layer installation.