48 hours at the Annual Conference in Naples, FL: The future of glass envisioned

NGA’s new vision statement provided the backdrop for two days of committee and task group work:

“We envision a future in which glass is the material of choice to enhance spaces where people live, play, learn, and work.”

Please refer to the NGA’s committee structure chart HERE to understand how member volunteers get the work done within our four committees, including the VOTING PROTOCOL PARAMETERS and the PROJECT IDEA/CREATION FORM.



FORMING COMMITTEE   

• The Association is facilitating an industry-wide flat glass Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) with voluntary participation by four of the primary float manufacturers. A first draft of is due in April.
• A Task Group was formed to address recyclability and raw material resource management. The Recyclability of Architectural Glass GIB will be updated to include dos and don’ts of architectural glass recycling. NGA staff will draft FAQs and related resource information. Glass fabricators will be surveyed about current processes and glass waste.  

ADVOCACY COMMITTEE 

• A task group will develop language to address daylighting in interior space to support healthcare, education and office environments and occupant well-being.
• Staff will draft a communications and promotion plan to increase visibility of the “Health & Wellness Benefits of Daylighting” website resource compiled by member volunteers.

The following two days featured presentations that challenged attendees both technically and innovatively, as well as the regular meetings which dove into matters of glass fabrication. 



FABRICATING COMMITTEE

Fabricating Committee Technical Liaisons reported on current and new activities.



Decorative:  

• Updating the Bird-Friendly Glazing GIB to reflect new Canadian Standards Association (CSA) criteria; defining an industry-accepted color variance, or delta E, for decorative glass; determining best practices for installed painted decorative glass (and discouraging painting glass products post-fabrication); and utilizing ASTM C1048 and C1172 to provide guidance on how to view decorative products in interior and exterior applications.
• Product Category Rules (PCRs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) were the name of the game within the Energy subcommittee. Surveys will be issued specifically for a windows PCR and a processed glass EPD, the results of which will be shared at Fall Conference. A list of FAQs will also be developed to understand the difference between the rule and declaration, and why it is important to members.
• Health and wellness as a benefit of daylighting continues to be an important topic and means to advocate the use of glass among key stakeholders. Visit http://www.glasswebsite.com/daylighting.html  to review the continually-growing list of resources on the subject. In addition, one new work item was initiated within the subcommittee to address frame and perimeter insulation and alignment.

Insulating: 

• Following publication of the new AIA-approved presentation, Multi-Cavity IGUs, a call was made for approved presenters. This, along with eight other AIA-approved presentations, is available as a member benefit through NGA. Contact sara@glass.org for more information on NGA’s nine AIA-approved presentations available for use by NGA members only.
•  Unsupported Edge Conditions of IGUs, published jointed with the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) is now available online through glasswebsite.com/publications.
•  Two additional GIBs are under development – Oversized IGUs and PIB Primary Sealant (in collaboration with IGMA).

Laminating:

• Continuing assessment of test data to create new resources on the compression of interlayer tolerances as well as deflection calculations for laminated glass constructions.
• New resources coming soon include the updated versions of the Component Substitution for Hurricane Impact Fenestration GIB and the much-awaited Laminated Glazing Reference Manual.

Protective Glazing: 

• Will release an updated version of its Protective Glazing 101 AIA presentation by third-quarter 2019.
• Established a new task group to address Security Glazing for Schools.
• Fire-Rated Glazing Today AIA presentation is updated and ready for use by NGA members.  

Tempering: 

• The new edition of the Engineering Standards Manual, one the association’s most popular manuals, will include an important table on the minimum thicknesses for fully tempered glass in butt-glazed fixed interior panels features updated calculations, and will be part of the new edition of the Manual to be released by second quarter 2019.
• The Heavy Glass Door Manual is also being updated; the 20th anniversary edition will be published in Q2.
• New GIBS on allowable stress in point-supported glass and thermal stress in spandrel applications are in task group.

Summary of new NGA technical resources:

-    Fire-Rated Glazing Today AIA Presentation

-    Component Substitution for Hurricane Impact Fenestration GIB 

-    Unsupported Edge Conditions of IGUs GIB

Coming soon:

-    Laminated Glazing Reference Manual

-    Engineering Standards Manual

-    Heavy Glass Door Manual

-    Protective Glazing 101 AIA Presentation

-    Coated Glass AIA Presentation

-    Daylighting GIB

-    Glass Properties Pertaining to Photovoltaic Applications GIB

-    Tornado Resistant Glazing GIB

-    Glass in Furniture GIB

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE 

Annual Conference presentations provide a break from committee and task group meetings and are geared to help members understand the mega-trends affecting the glass and glazing industry.

• Thinner, bigger, better glass: Keynote speaker Lisa Rammig of Eckersley O’Callaghan brought glasstec’s “glass technology live” to Naples.  See tomorrow’s edition of e-glass weekly for more details.
  
   
• Technical Updates: NGA’s Technical & Advocacy team of Tom Culp, Birch Point Consulting; Thomas Zaremba, Roetzel & Andress; and Urmilla Sowell, NGA Technical & Advocacy Director shared the latest industry and association technical and codes activities.
  
   
• Vision & Purpose:  Nicole Harris, NGA President & CEO, provided a member update focused on the vision and strategic objectives of the association now one-year post-combination. 
  
   
• Sharing the glass-cleaning challenge: Dr. Paul Düffer, Adjunct to Glass Committee of the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA), urged the membership to take the next step beyond the jointly-published GIBs—Construction Site Protection & Maintenance of Architectural Glass and Proper Procedures for Cleaning Architectural Glass Products, produced collaboratively between NGA and IWCA—with in-the-field examples and data of how dirt and debris impact glass in windows.

 

  

 

Mark your calendars:  

BEC Conference | Mar. 3-5, 2019 | Las Vegas, NV

Register online: glasswebsite.com/bec



GPAD, co-sponsored by NGA | Mar. 26-28, 2019 | San Antonio, TX



Fall Conference | Aug. 13-15, 2019 | Toledo, OH

Registration coming soon.



GlassBuild America | Sept. 17-19, 2019 | Atlanta, GA

Registration coming soon.

  

Annual Conference | Jan. 13-15, 2020 | La Jolla, CA (Torrey Pines)

   

BEC Conference | Mar. 1-3, 2020 | Nashville, TN

   

GlassBuild America | Sept. 15-17, 2020 | Las Vegas, NV