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Advertising supplement provided by Solutia Inc. and Viracon

Security

Around the world, architects and building owners are seeking to balance the desire for living and working in bright, daylit spaces with the need for security protection against criminal and terrorist attacks.

Portland International Airport   Architect: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership Photographer: Wes Thompson Air travelers arriving at Oregon’s Portland International Airport, designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, are welcomed by a dramatic, 100,000-square-foot laminated glass canopy that covers and connects the parking garages, floating pedestrian bridges, and roadway leading to the terminal. Because of the sheer volume of glass overhead, safety was paramount in material selection. Laminated glass was chosen because it adheres to the interlayer and remains in its frame if impacted or broken, which makes it safe for overhead glazing applications. In Portland, the laminated glass canopy also provides acoustic insulation from the noise of overhead air traffic and allows natural light in, creating a bright, pleasant environment for travelers arriving at the airport.

Burglary and Forced Entry Resistance

Burglaries in commercial buildings and residences are usually directed towards targets of easy opportunity and low perceived risk. The most critical step of a burglary is entry, and the most common means of entry is a window or door.

In correct configurations, laminated glass meets the requirements of significant test standards including: UL972 of laminated glazing products against forced entry, ASTM International and other test standards for security in Home, Commercial and High Security categories. While many forms of laminated glass are considered strong enough to prevent “smash and grab” burglaries, systems can be designed with appropriate glazing thicknesses to resist most weapons used to force entry, including: rocks, hammers, screwdrivers, bricks, pry bars, sledgehammers, pipes, battering rams, chisels, axes, thermal stress weapons (CO2, fire extinguishers or propane torches), and chemical deterioration weapons (gasoline and acetone). Even quiet glass cutters become useless tools because laminated glass cannot be cut from only one side. Security glazing products with the greatest overall thickness and largest percentage of interlayers offer the best resistance to forced entry.

Main Force/Forced-Entry Performance of Laminated Security Glazing

Because it withstands most forms of attempted entry, laminated glass is frequently used for enhanced security in residential and commercial windows, doors, and storefronts, providing an aesthetically superior alternative to iron bars. Unlike burglar alarms and other security systems, security glazing provides continuous passive security that is not subject to human error or electronic failure. It ultimately provides greater protection by preventing entry instead of reacting to an entry.