Aug. 1, 2018 -  After 58 years of dedication to his customers, business and team, Don Friese, Chairman and CEO of C.R. Laurence (CRL), will retire at the end of September 2018. His successor, Lloyd Talbert, has been with the company for over 25 years and will maintain his role as President along with assuming CRL’s leadership.

Every summer thousands of curtainwall projects are constructed across Canada. Regardless of the type of system installed, whether it’s stick or unitized, there can be some common issues that arise during and after construction.

July 3, 2018 - EVERLAM has announced the opening of its new Center of Competence located in Mechelen, Belgium. 

June 20, 2018 -  Vitro Architectural Glass has announced that it will introduce Acuity low-iron glass in September and that customers can pre-order sample kits for the product at www.vitroglazings.com/acuity beginning immediately. The glass will be produced with the full range of Solarban high-performing low-e glass coatings to optimize energy savings.

June 20, 2018 - Accessibility is an important consideration in building design. To make specification easier for architects and designers, CRL-U.S. Aluminum—the leading manufacturer and supplier of architectural glazing systems—has engineered a 1/2" low-profile threshold for its Series 900 Terrace Doors.

June 14, 2018 - Vitro Architectural Glass announced that it has named Paul Bush as director of Quality & Technical Services.

May 30, 2018 - The KSR plant from LiSEC for grinding glass sheets is a core of the production at Interpane (part of the AGC Group) at the site in Parndorf, Austria. It runs in three-shift operation and produces an average daily rate of nearly 2,000 linear metres.

May 30, 2018 - Longer – Heavier – Bigger! The B’JUMBO XXL insulating glass production line from Bystronic glass can be described using these three attributes that were inspired by the motto that was coined by Pierre de Coubertin for the Olympic Games. With this line, Bystronic glass is setting new benchmarks in architectural glass production: The production line measuring 165 metres in length is used to automatically produce insulating glass up to 18 metres in length, a globally unique size. Consequently, it is the longest insulating glass production line in the world and recently entered service at the famous German manufacturer Thiele Glas, based in Wermsdorf, Saxony. Thiele Glas has achieved an excellent reputation in recent decades, particularly in terms of creating unusual façades in industrial buildings.

The latest and greatest in innovative and high-performing glass products.

Since the accidental invention of glass by Phoenician sailors 7,000 years ago, technological advances over the centuries have resulted in the development of broad sheet glass followed by crown glass, cast glass, drawn sheet glass and finally float glass. The next advancement in glass could soon be upon us in the form of nanotechnology.

I was born and raised here in Canada and there are many things about our country that I’m extremely proud of. But I must admit whenever I hear someone refer to the United States’ Declaration of Independence, part of me wishes that this document was in our history and not theirs. Namely the second paragraph, which states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Apr. 26, 2018 - Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) announced that it is a contributing sponsor to restoration of the historic Tropical Rainforest exhibit at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, and that it will supply 19,600 square-feet of Starphire Ultra-Clear glass, featuring AviProTek bird-friendly Velour acid-etched finish by Walker Glass, to the $1.2 million project.

The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance held its Summer Conference on July 31 through August 2 in Vancouver. The event attracted over 100 insulating glass fabricators for three days of informative presentations and discussion.

Facade Tectonics held its first-ever Forum event in Vancouver on July 30, welcoming around 100 glass industry professionals to the glitzy new Marriot Parq downtown for a day of high-level discussion and education. The crammed schedule included six presentations by multiple presenters with ample time for questions after, attracting lots of input from the audience. Talk around the room during breaks suggested a great deal of satisfaction with the quality of the speakers and the content. The event was held in conjunction with the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance Summer Conference, which started the following day.

July 27, 2018 - Now in its 16th year, GlassBuild America will hold the highly anticipated glass, window and door industry tradeshow in Las Vegas, NV September 12-14, 2018. As leaders in glass and window fabrication systems and software solutions, GED Integrated Solutions (GED) is proud to be exhibiting several new products within the 7,000 square feet of booth space.

Facade Tectonics Forum will present "Enough Glazing: Balancing benefits with liabilities of facade glazing" on July 30 at the JW Marriot Parq in Vancouver. Facade Tectonics is a curated speaker program that includes diverse voices in the creation of advanced building facade systems, showcasing new perspectives on the opportunities for innovation in the design and delivery of the building skin.

The insulating glass industry is a fantastic industry to give the world outside views without allowing outside weather or temperatures to enter the building envelope. But sometimes, things can go completely wrong that ruins that experience for customers.

July 19, 2018 - Ferro, and its subsidiary Dip-Tech, will be exhibiting together at GlassBuild America 2018 in a joint booth #1833, September 12-14, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RCI’s Canadian Building Envelope Technology Symposium is a two-day educational program happening Sept. 13 and 14 in Misssauga, Ont., offering cutting-edge information regarding design and repair of modern and/or older building envelopes. Among the many topics being addressed, several will be relevant to glass building envelope fabricators and glazing contractors. The event’s inclusive environment encourages attendees to ask questions and get answers to questions. Speakers offer relevant solutions by referencing real-world examples and case histories.

July 17, 2018 - Intermac America and Canada will showcase its industry-leading machines and software solutions September 12-14 at GlassBuild 2018 in Booth #2727 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Intermac’s Master 33.5 5-Axis CNC will join the Genius CT-Red and Genius RS-A cutting tables on the show floor and all of these cutting-edge solutions will be under power and ready to demo!

The Facade Tectonics Forum will present "Healthy and Sustainable Glazing: Designing for people and the planet" July 30 in Vancouver in conjunction with the IGMA Summer Conference. The Facade Tectonics Forum: Vancouver will include speaker presentations as well as panel and interactive discussions addressing the theme The Good and The Bad: Evolving considerations and practices of building facade glazing. Four panels and two special presentations are planned over a full day’s programming, including more than 15 speakers. The Good and The Bad will combine the art, science and technology of the building skin with an unparalleled networking opportunity from the building community.

Facade Tectonics Forum, a glass-industry eduction seminar offered in conjunction with the IGMA Summer Conference, will present "An Icon Renewed - the renovation of Seattle's space needle," July 30 in Vancouver. After over half a century Seattle’s aging 605-foot-tall Space Needle, built in 1962, was in need of a major overhaul. The structure is a visual icon of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, but the experience of the user is all about view. The capabilities of architectural glass have improved significantly overthe decades since the structure’s original construction, providing significant opportunity for thedesign team. The new incarnation of the Needle is a celebration of contemporary architectural glazing. Join  Blair Payson of OKA and Richard Green ofFront Inc.  as they explore the renovation of Seattle's Space Needle.

The Facade Tectonics Forum will explore the challenges and opportunities inherent in the ongoing trend toward big glass in Vancouver on July 30. The forum is being hosted by the IGMA Summer Conference the day before the association's regular committee meetings and educational events start. Separate registration is required.

Attendees at the Insulating Glass Manufacturing Alliance's Summer Conference, July 30 to Aug. 2 in Vancouver, have the option to attend an additional architectural-glass-focused educational event hosted in the same hotel right before the conference starts. This is the first year for Facade Tectonics Forum, an educational event organized by the not-for-profit Facade Tectonics Institute.

Light-flooded spaces and a general airiness in buildings are no longer just a trend in the architectural world, but are increasingly state-of-the-art. This general airiness achieved through the use of transparent materials does not end with the balcony. Total vision glazing and glass balustrades can offer continuity to wide open spaces, if they are not interrupted by framing or other mechanical fixations. When it comes to connecting glass to frame materials, new solutions are coming to market every day.

Meeting the budget for construction of a building can be a challenge, especially when a proposed design may be aspirational rather than strictly practical.  Public and private sector owners, construction managers, general contractors, sub-contractors,  fenestration  system and component suppliers have, for many years, looked for cost savings through continental and increasingly, global procurement (i.e. outside North America and overseas). 

Dr. Charles (Chuck) Black of Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States will present his team’s research using nanomaterials to render glass and some plastics virtually invisible by eliminating nearly all surface reflections.

Glass Performance Days, a biennial conference held in Tampere, Finland, has released an entire online book full of educational articles provided by its session presenters. The 457-page document contains 91 white papers, each connected to an educational seminar that took place at its 25th event in June last year. The papers discuss just about every imaginable topic in the architectural glass industry.

In our northern climates, where temperatures can plummet to -30 C and colder, consumers can see an increase in glass breakage in their windows.  This year in the Ottawa area, an unprecedented number of glass breakages have been reported with temperatures in the -39 C range with intense sun for days on end. It’s a chilly time.

When it’s time to take IG production to the next level, fabricators can consider integrating automated spacer production into their process. It’s a big investment of money, space and training time, but a big payoff in reduced inventory, supply control and input costs.

Oct. 12, 2017 - The pursuit of safer, more environmentally friendly roadways and sidewalks shifted into another gear with the first public installation of low-wattage, energy-producing tempered glass solar panels manufactured by Solar Roadways topped with low-iron Starphire glass by Vitro Architectural Glass.

Sept. 12, 2017 - Glaston Corporation has closed a deal with U.S based Trulite Glass & Aluminium Solutions for a FC Series jumbo-size tempering furnace. The order is part of Glaston third-quarter expected order intake. The line will be delivered to the customer by the end of this year.

Carbon fibre composite remains too expensive and slow to process for widespread use as a building material. But trends both on the supply and demand side are perhaps bringing it closer to feasibility. The material’s strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion-resistance and low thermal conductivity make it an intriguing possibility for very high-end projects demanding low sight lines, big glass and good thermal performance.

July 28, 2017 - Many applications for building inspection...

June 15, 2017 - The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) recently released a new white paper created by the AAMA Aluminum Material Council that discusses the use of aluminum in high-performing building enclosures. AMC-2-26, "Aluminum in High-Performing Building Enclosures," is now available in the AAMA online store as a complimentary download.

Our cover looks a bit different than usual this month. Don’t worry, we aren’t turning into a political magazine. But I suppose it’s an example of how politics has infected everything in this age of Trump that the best approach to our big topic looks like a political cartoon. The U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum have been greeted with head-scratching and condemnation by just about all responsible economic commentators.

A local glass manufacturer asked the government to include imported flat glass in the list of products subjected to mandatory quality control to address the deteriorating quality and safety of these products. Pioneer Float Glass Manufacturing Inc. said it was seeking the re-inclusion of flat glass in the list of mandatory standard product list amid the influx of substandard glass products. Pioneer Float Glass vice president Nonito Galpa said the entry of substandard flat glass imports had undermined the competitiveness of the local glass industry and subjected consumers to possible threats of harm because of poor quality.

July 3, 2018 - Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) continues to support the Federal Government in its recent efforts to respond to the Trump Administration’s misguided decision to impose tariffs on the aluminum and steel industry in Canada.

June 6, 2018 - Municipalities issued $7.8 billion worth of building permits in April, down 4.6% from March. Declines were reported in every component except commercial buildings.

Any new dance studio created in this day and age has to have lots of light and lots of modern energy – and that means lots of glass. In the case of the new space for Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD), a Calgary professional dance company and recreational dance school, “the studios benefit from a vast amount of vision glass, 32 feet of it,” notes site manager Colin Swirles at glazing contractor, Flynn Canada.

When Lemay’s architects set out to design a new office building for construction firm Pomerleau in Lévis, Que., in 2016, they knew they wanted to do two things: bring the outdoors inside and promote a sense of collaboration and connection between employees.

The Humber College Lakeshore campus has opened the doors to a brand new building. Their challenge? Find a somewhat modern glazing respecting Toronto`s city standards for a unique college campus that dates back to the 1880s and needs to be restored.

A full-block development consisting of office towers, retail space and an outdoor plaza, Calgary’s Brookfield Place steps up as one of western Canada’s tallest buildings.

Practically anywhere you walk within the 4,500-square foot Slender House, you can see the property’s breathtaking waterfront thanks to a plethora of custom-made glass. Finished in July 2017, the residence is located in Ogden, Que., nestled near the U.S. border and solidly anchored into the rock on the steep shores of Lake Memphremagog.

I feel I can get away with throwing some shade at an entire profession as I was once employed on the outskirts of it myself. Many years ago when I was between jobs I worked in a call centre for a big American telecommunications provider doing tech support for their web portal. Our explicit instructions were to get the customer off the phone as fast as possible. Indeed, our entire job performance metric depended on it.

May 17, 2018 - The value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities increased 3.1% to $8.4 billion in March, following a 2.8% decline in February. The rise was mainly the result of higher construction intentions for multi-family dwellings, particularly in Quebec and British Columbia, and, to a lesser extent, by the commercial component.

Apr. 24, 2018 - As companies introduce connected technologies into the workplace and on the jobsite, they increase the risk of cyber attacks.

The Certification Committee of the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance met Aug. 1 at the IGMA Summer Conference in Vancouver. Committee members and attendees heard about some major changes - both recent and upcoming - to how we evaluate and certify insulating glass units.

July 26, 2018 - The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) recently released a new document to describe proper guidelines and glazing procedures for structural glazing. AAMA SSGDG-1-17, the "Structural Silicone Glazing (SSG) Design Guidelines", reviews a glazing that offers a unique appearance and simplicity of construction that often cannot be achieved any other way.

July 10, 2018 - Louis Moreau, Head of Technology & Innovation at AGNORA, along with Rick Wright, Director of Technical Services at Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope (and ASTM C14 & C14.08 Chair), has assembled an international group of stakeholders to develop a new ASTM standard test method for anisotropy measurement on glass. The initial kick-off meeting took place at Apple’s former headquarters, One Infinity Loop.

July 9, 2018 - Earlier this year the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) decided to pursue additional accreditation for the IGMAC certification program and has selected ANSI, the American National Standards Institute as the 3rd party Accreditation Body (AB) that will issue the accreditation. ANSI participates in the IAF MLA (Multilateral Recognition Arrangement) with the SCC (Standards Council of Canada).  ANSI will perform annual assessments of the IGMAC certification process to ensure it meets stringent international requirements (ISO 17065:2012).

Mar. 26, 2018 - Guardian Glass North America has published Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for flat glass and processed glass products manufactured at its seven North American float plants.

With the title “North American Fenestration Standard,” it is tempting to think that NAFS applies equally to all fenestration products. This is not the case: while NAFS applies to a great many fenestration products, it excludes many products used in larger buildings from its scope. Fortunately, the code recognizes this and provides complementary compliance paths for products within and outside the scope of the standard.

Mar. 5, 2018 - American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) member company UL/CLEB gave a workshop during AAMA's 2018 Annual Conference in Orlando on Feb. 21. UL/CLEB Principal Engineer Robert Jutras presented a case study on the subject, offering visual examples of a specific project and its tests.

Mar. 1, 2018 - The North American Contractor Certification (NACC) program is pleased to announce that National Glass and Metal Company Inc., of Horsham, PA has completed the process of NACC certification. The NACC program is an ANSI accredited 3rd party process that was built for the architectural glass and metal installation community.

Nov. 3, 2017 -  The Physical Test Steering Committee of the Architectural Glass and Metal Technician (AGMT) Certification Program, began development of conceptual test apparatuses at a meeting held on September 20, in Hanover, MD. The apparatuses will be used by future AGMT certification applicants to demonstrate their proficiency in fundamental physical glazing skills and abilities; the physical test element of the certification exam.

The IGMA Summer Conference in Montreal heard about the significant progress our many active committees and task groups are making. Here’s a look at some highlights.

At the Canadian Glass Association’s 2017 Glass Connections in Burnaby, B.C., CGA past president Jim Brady announced new code changes to a room full of people largely unaware of the changes. “The Canadian Glass Association needs to get involved with code changes so we can get them revised and not rely on other codes,” said Brady.

Aug. 24, 2017 - The Insulating Glass Certification Council (IGCC), the leading provider of independent IG certification globally, along with the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) is pleased to announce a new program to advance the long-term performance of insulating glass units.