PPG glass, coatings featured on The Tower at PNC Plaza

PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG), with global headquarters in Pittsburgh, announced that SUNGATE(R) passive low-emissivity (low-e) glass, STARPHIRE ULTRA-CLEAR(TM) glass, CORAFLON(R) powder coatings and PPG PAINTS(TM) products were used on the Tower at PNC Plaza, which opened Oct. 1 in Pittsburgh and is designed to bethe world’s greenest office building.



The 33-story skyscraper features an innovative double-skin façade, one of the first of its kind in North America, that is designed to help the building naturally ventilate for more than 40 percent of the year. The inner and outer curtain walls incorporate metal panels finished with Coraflon fluoropolymer powder coating in Gray Mica and Sungate and STARPHIRE(R) glasses laminated or fabricated into dual insulating glass units (IGUs).

Rendering courtesy of PNC Financial Corp.

Combined with Starphire glass in a standard 1-inch IGU, Sungate glass has visible light transmittance (VLT) of 80 percent, along with a solar-heat-gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.68 and winter nighttime U-value of 0.28. Sungate glass is engineered to maximize the environmental performance of buildings in northern climates by harvesting solar heat in the winter to diminish furnace loads and by emitting high levels of daylight year-round to reduce lighting costs. Starphire glass is made with a proprietary low-iron formulation that was introduced 25 years ago yet still produces the industry’s clearest, most transparent float glass.

With their solvent-free, ultra-low-VOC (volatile organic compound) formulations, Coraflon fluoropolymer powder coatings promote sustainable design while providing hard, durable UV(ultraviolet)-resistant surfaces that retain color and gloss for decades.

Rendering courtesy of PNC Financial Corp.

Four PPG Paints products were used to finish indoor and outdoor surfaces, including SPEEDHIDE(R) latex, Speedhide Zero zero-VOC* latex and PITT-GLAZE(R) WB1 acrylicepoxy interior paints, as well as PITT-TECH(R) satin industrial enamel direct-to-metal exterior paint.



*Colorants added to this base paint may increase VOC level significantly depending on color choice.



The two-layer façade for The Tower at PNC Plaza is equipped with a motorized outer layer and a manually operable inner layer of louvers that draw fresh air across building floors, where it warms, rises through two shafts in the building’s core and exhausts through the roof. Narrow floor plates and highly transparent Starphire and Sungate glasses enable light to penetrate 92 percent of work spaces throughout the building.

J.E. Berkowitz, Pedricktown, New Jersey, a member of the PPG CFP CERTIFIED FABRICATOR PROGRAM(R) group, fabricated and delivered nearly 1 million total square feet of glass for the project. The glazing contractor was Permasteelisa North America Corp., Windsor, Connecticut. Coraflon powder coatings were applied by Sapa Extrusions America, a member of the PPG CAP CERTIFIED APPLICATOR PROGRAM(R) (PPG/CAP) group.

Photography courtesy of PNC Financial Corp.

For more information about Sungate glass, Starphire glass, Coraflon powder coatings, and the PPG CFP Certified Fabricator Program and PPG CAP Certified Applicator Program groups, visit www.ppgideascapes.com or call 1-888-PPG-IDEA (774-4332).

About J.E. Berkowitz, LP

J.E. Berkowitz, LP, is the country’s largest independent architectural glass fabricator. Founded in 1920, the ISO 9001-certified company serves customers in domestic and overseas architectural markets and has a long history of work on major projects. For more information, visit www.jeberkowitz.com.

About Sapa Extrusion America

Sapa, a world leader in aluminum solutions, supplies extruded aluminum products to customers throughout North America from locations in Canada, Florida, Georgia, Oregon and South Dakota. The company has 23,500 employees in more than 40 countries, and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. For more information, visit www.sapagroup.com.

PPG: BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE.(TM)

PPG Industries' vision is to be the world’s leading coatings company by consistently delivering high-quality, innovative and sustainable solutions that customers trust to protect and beautify their products and surroundings. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG provides added value to customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in more than 70 countries around the world. Reported net sales in 2014 were $15.4 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPGIndustries on Twitter.

Bringing innovation to the surface and Starphire Ultra-Clear are trademarks and Coraflon, PPG CAP Certified Applicator Program, PPG CFP Certified Fabricator Program, Starphire and Sungate are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.