DAYLIGHTING Magazine issue 25 November/December 2020

Issue 25 November/December 2020

GLASS ROOFLIGHTS SAFETY AESTHETICS INSTALLATION APPLICATION

PLUS:

DAYLIGHT & SUNLIGHT PLANNING CURTAIN WALL SYSTEMS NEWS LATEST PROJECTS AND MORE

Overhead glazing:

The term ‘toughened’ implies a degree of safety which in the case of rooflights, is misleading – as toughened glass can shatter, putting those beneath a rooflight at risk.

For more information, visit:

www.narm.org.uk

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Always check this with your supplier, as we are aware that some rooflights are being supplied with toughened glass inner panes: a potential danger.

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For the safety of building occupants, NARM advises that inner panes on all glass rooflights must be laminated glass.

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For safety’s sake, check for the tick symbol.

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LAMINATED INNER PANE ENDORSED BY

RIBA accredited CPD materials Available

THE TRADE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING LEADING UK ROOFLIGHT SUPPLIERS

CONTENTS

REGULARS

05

Editor’s Comment

06

Industry News

10

New Projects

18

NARM Daylight Diary Updates from the UK’s influential trade association for rooflight manufacturers

36

Daylighting Icons New York Times Building, Manhattan

38

Twitterings What’s trending on social media?

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More about DAYLIGHTING Magazine Back issues, free subscriptions & media information

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

FEATURES

DAYLIGHTING is published by: Bennett B2B Ltd Pure Offices Lake View House Tournament Fields Warwick CV34 6RG United Kingdom TEL: +44 (0)1295 711666

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Daylight & Sunlight Planning New thinking on daylight/sunlight links planning and performance The new BS EN 17037 Daylight in Buildings has gained acceptance across Europe — planning however could use a radically simple approach argues Professor John Mardaljevic.

EDITOR Paul Bennett paul@daylightingmag.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666 Mobile: 07900 895110 AD SALES info@bennettb2b.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666

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DESIGN/PRODUCTION info@bennettb2b.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666

Glass Rooflights Rooflight glazing: check for the safety tick.

NARM, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers, has launched a new campaign to support the requirement for laminated inner panes on glass rooflights

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New guidance on rooflight safety from ACR The Advisory Committee for Roofsafety has published a new Information Sheet.

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WEBSITE www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Awakening the beauty of natural light Incorporating rooflights into your design ensures an environmentally friendly way to heighten mental wellbeing and improve internal environments – by The Rooflight Company.

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CIRCULATION Daylighting is available by email, free of charge to subscribers, by logging on at www.daylightingmag.co.uk Free access is also available via our website and social media. Average impressions per issue are approximately 5,500, however this varies according to social media activity. Our readership is predominantly UK architects, specifiers, contractors, consultants and roofing professionals. Full details are available on our website. www.daylightingmag.co.uk

The Elephant in the Roof Paul Trace from Stella Rooflight discusses the practicalities involved in specifying large rooflights. 29

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Curtain Wall Systems Milestone firsts in steel glass curtain wall fire test Wrightstyle, the advanced glazing system specialist, has successfully achieved a milestone fire test which the Company claims has international significance.

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of content, the publisher does not accept liability for errors. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

This publication contains editorial photographs which may have been supplied and paid for by suppliers. Full terms and conditions can be found on our website.

November/December 2020

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of Monovision flat glass rooflights, our solutions deliver performance & peace-of-mind.

Lareine Engineering is a preferred supplier to leading architects, engineers & contractors, with a service that includes in-house design, manufacture, installation and servicing.

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glazed roofs and sophisticated natural & smoke ventilation systems, to our trusted range

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of every description, across every sector, throught the UK. From bespoke, self-supporting

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LAMINATED INNER PANE ENDORSED BY

THE UK’S TRUSTED DAYLIGHTING & VENTILATION SPECIALIST Head Office: 01506 448140 Midlands Centre: 01788 579307 E: info@lareineengineering.com www.lareineengineering.com

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Looking towards 2021 with the glass half full...

Call me an optimist, but I reckon that despite ongoing concerns over the economy and employment, the imminent roll-out of at least three different Covid-19 vaccines must bring with it hopes for a return to some kind of normality and the beginnings of a global upturn.

From a sustainability viewpoint too, there are reasons to be optimistic.

President-elect Biden’s commitment to re-join the Paris Climate Accord and the UK Government’s ‘10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’ both bode well for the future.

Back in the present, this issue sheds light on a number of interesting topics, not least of which is Professor John Mardaljevic’s article on page 12. He presents a robust response to our article on daylight planning

by Dr. Peter Defoe and Andrew Thompson in the last issue.

Our Glass Rooflights feature starting on page 20, comprises articles from four different contributors, covering subjects ranging from safety, to installation, aesthetics and wellbeing of building occupants.

On the suject of safety, you’ll also find details of a milestone fire test of a glazed curtain wall framing system, on page 34.

As always, I hope you’ll find this issue both interesting and informative.

My thanks go to all our contributors.

Paul Bennett paul@daylightingmag.co.uk

If you’d like to comment or get in touch regarding any of the topics covered, please email me using the link opposite.

Finally, I’ll take this opportunity to wish all our readers and contributors a safe and enjoyable festive season and a very happy New Year.

Issue 23 July/August 2020

Don’t forget, back issues are always available to read on-line at daylightingmag.co.uk Issue 20 January/February 2020

THE INNOVATION SMARTER, BRIGHTER ISSUE HOME DESIGN USING DAYLIGHT

PLUS:

DAYLIGHT & SUNLIGHT PLANNING ENERGY EFFICIENCY HEALTH & WELLBEING NEWS LATEST PROJECTS AND MORE

Previous issues of DAYLIGHTING Magazine will be available on-line indefinitely. So you can refer back to old issues whenever you like.

It’s also on our ‘to-do’ list to set up a features index, so if you can’t remember in which issue you read that fascinating feature about XYZ, you’ll be able to find it in a moment.

IN THIS ISSUE:

DAYLIGHT MODELLING REFURBISHMENT SMART GLAZING PLUS • NEWS • PROJECTS • AND MORE

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

November/December 2020

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Infrastructure and private housing back to pre-pandemic level Construction output continued to grow more steadily in September rising by 2.9% compared with the previous month.

The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics confirm the rebound slipped down a gear after big gains in the summer but the industry continues to make steady progress in returning to more normal activity levels.

Both infrastructure and private housing are leading the recovery with September output finally exceeding pre-pandemic levels in February. All other types of work in September have yet to return to more normal levels, with public

new housing the furthest below its February 2020 level at 29.4%.

New orders in the third quarter to September are 0.6% up on the same period last year.

The highlight in the latest threemonth order figures came from the depressed commercial sector which showed signs of stirring back into life, up 16% on last year’s Q3 level. Infrastructure and private industrial orders were also ahead, both rising nearly 8%.

Fraser Johns, finance director at builder Beard Group, said: “The slowdown in the rate of growth in September possibly reflects

the level of uncertainty at that time across the economy as the prospect of a tough winter ahead loomed. So, it may be that with the positive news of a vaccine in recent days that uncertainty dissolves as we head through Q4.

“But at the same time the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit is also drawing closer and what that means for the availability of labour onsite, as well as challenges in the supply chains we’re seeing, could hamper efforts to go above and beyond pre-Covid levels of growth.” www.constructionenquirer.com

VELUX Group joins global push for governments to take nature action The VELUX Group has joined more than 560 companies, with combined revenues of US $4 trillion, to urge governments to adopt policies now to reverse nature loss in this decade.

This united commitment came on the same day the UN General Assembly adopted its 75th Declaration that recognises the urgent need for Member States to act to protect our planet and ‘build back better’. Alongside Walmart, Citigroup, Microsoft, JD.com, Hitachi, IKEA, Unilever, Axa, Mahindra Group and H&M, the VELUX Group urges governments to adopt policies now to reverse nature loss in this decade through the following statement:

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“Healthy societies, resilient economies and thriving businesses rely on nature.

Governments must adopt policies now to reverse nature loss in this decade. Together let’s protect, restore and sustainably use our natural resources.

“The planet is facing a serious climate and nature crisis and this requires extraordinary action.

According to our values as a company, we strive to do more than most, so that’s why we have joined the Business for Nature, as we’ve made a strong commitment to take responsibility for not only our future but also the company’s entire historical CO2 through protection and

restoration of invaluable original forests”, said David Briggs, CEO of the VELUX Group.

Business for Nature’s Call to Action is the first time so many businesses have stepped forward with the ambition of influencing discussions in the run up to delivering a Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

It follows recent and widespread calls from Conservation, Development and Humanitarian Organizations, Faith Groups, Cities, Indigenous Peoples and Youth groups for more ambitious action on nature to protect human and planetary health. www.velux.co.uk

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

INDUSTRY NEWS

UKGBC publishes guidance to catalyse the delivery of net zero carbon buildings The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published new guidance, Unlocking the Delivery of Net Zero Carbon Buildings, which examines how current barriers to the delivery of net zero carbon buildings can be overcome Following the launch in September of Building the Case for Net Zero – a feasibility study into the design, delivery and cost of new net zero carbon buildings – UKGBC identified a need for further research into the current challenges faced by those striving to deliver net zero carbon buildings in order to rapidly increase their uptake.

This new guidance is intended

to help developers and project teams identify and respond to likely barriers throughout the process of delivering net zero carbon buildings. Alongside each barrier is a corresponding opportunity that explores how it can be overcome. The guidance sets out a total of 17 barriers, grouped by RIBA stage, and categorises the opportunities to address them against four themes: Design – ways to integrate net zero carbon into the building design or design process.

Cost – ways to finance net zero carbon buildings.

Stakeholder engagement – ways to integrate net zero

carbon into the decision-making process of all stakeholders.

Innovation – ways of capitalising on new processes, mechanisms, and technologies to achieve net zero buildings.

This guidance comes as the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) launches NABERS UK, a system for certifying the in-use energy performance of office buildings. This tool recognises the growing appetite for transparency and disclosure from building owners and investors, as the market begins to shift towards net zero carbon buildings. www.ukgbc.org

LOW CARBON GRP DAYLIGHT SOLUTIONS

DIFFUSION

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[ D I R E CT L I G H T – OTH ERS ]

INDUSTRY NEWS

Green commercial properties prove their worth 60 per cent believe that occupier interest in green buildings has not changed in the last 12 months.

On the investor side, 47 percent of contributors worldwide reported demand for green buildings to have risen in the last 12 months. In Europe and Asia, more than half noted an increase in interest for buildings with green certifications while in the Americas it was a third.

Nearly half of respondents in a global survey reported stronger occupier and investor demand for commercial properties with green building certificates.

This translates into higher rents according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, RICS, sustainability findings within its global commercial property monitor for the third quarter.

RICS global property standards director Paul Bagust said: “Whether we look at investors or occupiers, it is clear that demand for more sustainable building is climbing.”

He said it would be crucial to develop accurate measurements of properties to encourage greater capital in sustainable buildings.

“We need to help ensure decisions are no longer based solely on cost, compliance and function, but assess a broader value of a building,” he said.

Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said property development lenders were offering keen rates to builders who were embracing green technology as they saw these properties as a safe bet.

In Europe 43 per cent of respondents noted demand for properties with green certificates was higher with more than 50 per cent of Asian participants reporting the same trend.

Generally, the global commercial property sentiment showed the industrial sector as resilient while office and retail were in the doldrums. Two-thirds of respondents reported headline rents and capital values dropping with six per cent sensing conditions had reached the floor.

Although, in the Americas, nearly

www.hankzarihs.com

EUROLUX launches new website Eurolux, Europe’s trade association for daylighting, natural ventilation & smoke/heat exhaust systems, has launched a new website.

EUROLUX represents the interests of European manufacturers of individual rooflights, continuous rooflights and natural ventilation and smoke/heat exhaust systems on a European administrative and legislative level.

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EUROLUX promotes the Europewide usage of these products for the illumination of interiors with natural daylight and for natural venting and smoke & heat exhaust via rooflights.

You can visit the new website at: www.eurolux-eu.com

EUROLUX intensifies the exchange of ideas between its members and contributes to European and international standardisation.

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

INDUSTRY NEWS

Stadium UK to host new format RCI Show in September 2021

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NARM, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers, has launched a new campaign to support the requirement for laminated inner panes on glass rooflights for important safety reasons, bringing pressure on the British Standards Institute for a regulatory amendment.

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NARM launches new safety campaign

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For details, you can read the full article on page 20 of this issue.

LAMINATED INNER PANE

www.narm.org.uk

ENDORSED BY

Growth for sealant tapes in 2021 despite the pandemic Strong demand for airtightness and thermal sealing solutions will drive window and door foam tape growth in 2021, predicts Andy Swift, sales and operations manager for ISO-Chemie.

He says the market will remain buoyant over the next 12 months despite the continued impact of Covid on the economy and lingering uncertainty around any final Brexit trade deal with the EU. Despite a gloomy outlook in some quarters, construction and refurb projects are expected to press ahead with a strong focus on using cost effective products that deliver improved energy performance and efficiency, driving opportunities for increased product specification and upselling.

Andy Swift sees ‘business as usual’ in 2021, with “a steady expansion for energy efficient sealant products. Also, any final Brexit deal will have little if any impact on the products we supply

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to house builders and commercial property developers”.

He added that the dual whirlwind of Brexit and Covid has created unprecedented conditions for trading, but ISO Chemie will continue to operate in the UK as usual in to 2021: “With energy rated and conservation products at the forefront of design and building regulations, we can be confident of growth for our air tightness and thermal sealing products.There are effective products out there to ensure that airtightness and thermal efficiency within buildings should never be overlooked or ignored - it’s a matter of designing in these products.”

He added that the ongoing construction sector skills shortage in the next 12 months can be addressed by sealant tape products because they do not require any special skills to install. www.iso-chemie.eu

The RCI Show has been rescheduled from the 8th-9th December, 2020 to 29th30th September, 2021, at the Stadium MK in Milton Keynes. A spokesperson from MA Business, said: “The Stadium MK plays host to many exhibitions and concerts, and is the ideal new home for us to host the RCI Show next year.

The venue is a full-service arena with an on-site Hilton DoubleTree hotel, with leading restaurants just a stone’s throw away. With 1,500 free parking spaces onsite and easily accessible from the M1 motorway network, the Stadium MK really does tick all of the boxes!” All existing exhibitor bookings will be automatically transferred to the new September 2021 dates. Further information is available at: www.rcishow.co.uk

UK Construction Week 2021 UK Construction Week has announced a series of events for 2021: • Net Zero Housing - 9 March 2021 - Virtual • Sustainable Infrastructure - 16 March 2021 - Virtual • 4-6 May 2021 - ExCeL London • 5-7 October 2021 - NEC Birmingham www.ukconstructionweek.com

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NEW PROJECTS Vitsoe HQ, Royal Leamington Spa The client’s brief was to create a new HQ that would be a physical projection of its ‘systemthinking’ approach. This focuses on products that are flexible, modular and can be combined to form larger systems, which is one of the founding principles of Vitsoe.

The result was an economical, strong, yet elegant sawtooth roof that maximised indirect light, using banks of VELUX Northlights. commercial.velux.co.uk

The Fry Building, University of Bristol The recent £19m refurbishment of the Fry Building, included extensive refurbishment of the roof structure and existing roof glazing and rooflights.

Working with principal contractor Balfour Beatty, Whitesales supplied and installed Em-Glaze Monopitch rooflights, Northlights and a bespoke walkon installation.

Photo: G.G. Archard

www.whitesales.co.uk

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www.daylightingmag.co.uk

NEW PROJECTS Middlewood Locks, Manchester The first phase of the Middlewood Locks project in Manchester by developer Scarborough International Properties features Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained curtain walling, AA®130 brise soleil and AA®720 external doors on the ground floors of six blocks of apartments around three large basins of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury canals. www.kawneer.com

Private home, Northern Ireland Due to his work at 2020 Architects, specifier Gareth Boyd was well acquainted with roof windows specialists Keylite. “We chose to incorporate Keylite’s Roof Windows. I knew without a doubt we would be getting quality products with minimal hassle. Also, the Keylite Expanding Thermal Collar is fantastic for minimising any heat escaping around the window, making it far more thermally efficient.” www. keyliteroofwindows.com

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

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DAYLIGHT & SUNLIGHT PLANNING

New thinking on daylight/ sunlight links planning and performance The new BS EN 17037 Daylight in Buildings has gained acceptance across Europe — planning however could use a radically simple approach argues Loughborough University’s John Mardaljevic. This follows on from recent coverage in CIBSE Journal and is in response to the article by Peter Defoe and Andrew Thompson in issue 24 of Daylighting Magazine.

It is right that any building standard or guideline be subjected to scrutiny.

However, the critique given by Dr Defoe and Mr Thompson is, I believe, founded on a crucial misunderstanding – which is that the target illumination values recommended in BS EN 17037:2018 are precisely that: recommendations.

They are not normative. That is plain in the standard and should not need to be reiterated. Consequently, many of the issues raised in their critique are illusory.

Furthermore, there cannot be any significant consequences with regard to legislation that, ultimately, may defer to BS EN 17037:2018 for the same reason. Is it perhaps that Dr Defoe and Mr Thompson (PD/AT) wish the standard were something that it isn’t – primarily a guide for planners?

A horizontal illuminance of 300 lux was used as the basis for the performance recommendations because that value represented the best correlation to

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occupant preference for daylight sufficiency in a number of studies.1 The recommendation is for a high provision that will not be possible to achieve in all settings - this is different from a ‘least worst’ approach. This has been welcomed by many practitioners.

PD/AT claim that “paper verification” is an “important safeguard”, and (in the original CIBSE article) that software providers “are currently unable to provide an application to implement the standard capable of cross-platform validation”. The MBS web page proudly states that ‘99.8% of right-to-light consultancies’ use their software. The MBS Waldram Tools package includes climate-based daylight modelling (CBDM) functionality and the option to calculate spatial daylight autonomy using the ‘European Standard– prEn17037’ criteria. Additionally, a number of other packages are available, as are rigorously validated CBDM benchmarking tools. As was the case with CBDM and the Education Funding Agency daylight design guide

“The recommendation is for a high provision that will not be possible to achieve in all settings - this is different from a ‘least worst’ approach. This has been welcomed by many practitioners.”

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

DAYLIGHT & SUNLIGHT PLANNING

Sunlight and skylight ABDM metrics were computed for all window groups and summed to give total measures of the connectivity of all the aperture in the dwelling to sun and sky.

in 2013, software developers quickly responded to new requirements.2 In an earlier LinkedIn article (by PD) and also the original CIBSE article, PD/AT claimed that, given current computing abilities, “real-time visualisation of an internal [daylit] environment” could serve as the basis for verification of adequacy. Unfortunately, no validated research exists regarding virtual reality (VR) assessment of daylight. While humans are unreliable light meters with regard to pin-pointing values on a scale, we easily sense – and can make judgements in response to – absolute brightness levels, especially in daylit spaces where the range in experienced values is often great.

It is not possible, however, to reproduce the range in real-world luminances found in daylit spaces using available display/headset technology. Real-world luminances are, therefore, compressed and/or tonemapped so that the manipulation of image contrast mimics scene visibility for display purposes. To quote Greg

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Ward, originator of Radiance/HDR imaging expert: “There are scales for [comparing brightness], but they don’t work very well. Matching contrast is not the same as matching brightness, at all.”

It is not possible therefore to make meaningful assessments about daylight using VR because the display technology cannot inveigle the eye/ brain into responding as if it were in a daylit space. On this third outing of their critique of EN 17037, the claim regarding VR has been removed, however no reason is given for doing so. Readers are reminded of this claim for completeness, and also to contrast with the PD/AT’s extolment of the virtues of paper verification.

Regarding the Guide for landlords: Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, as far as I can tell, the act states that the “courts will decide whether a property is fit for human habitation by considering … whether: there’s not enough natural light”.

I have not been able to find any

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DAYLIGHT & SUNLIGHT PLANNING

Uniform sky normalised to give 2000 lux on the horizontal, i.e. each m2 of (unobstructed) horizontal aperture receives 2000 lumens of ‘connectivity’ to the sky.

linkage to any specific daylight factor recommendation provided by any source, anywhere — other than those articles posted by the two authors of the EN 17037 critique. The text below is from the Guild of Letting & Management4:

So how do you know if your property has enough Natural Light?

The Bill doesn’t define exactly how much is enough, but a good basic rule of thumb is to determine whether or not a room can be used safely during daylight hours without artificial lighting.

If it can, it has enough natural light.

While this can’t apply to every room in every property in every case, it should apply to the majority of the living spaces: bedrooms, sitting rooms etc.

Accordingly, PD/AT’s claim that: “Where the daylight provision is to be assessed, under the above requirements, then the official

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guidance, under the Housing Health & Safety Rating System, historically required an assessment based on the former British Standard.” does not appear to be supported by the available evidence. In the 2006 Housing Health and Safety Rating System5 the only mention of British standards are with regard to: (i) ‘Water pipework and storage facilities provided and maintained according to requirements of BS 6700’; and, (ii) ‘Electrical wiring installation meets the latest requirements of Institution of Electrical Engineers/British Standard (BS 7671)’. It appears therefore that, as far as the law is concerned, adequacy of natural light is not judged against the BS 8206 average daylight factor criterion, nor indeed any other quantitative measure or standard (current or revoked) — though any such measure, including the recommendations in EN 17037, could of course be supplied to the court as evidence.

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

DAYLIGHT & SUNLIGHT PLANNING EN 17037 has been well-received across Europe, and all CEN member states have withdrawn any conflicting national standards. The recommended performance goals have generally been welcomed by practitioners. A CIBSE Daylight Group meeting on 30th January 2019, specifically about the new standard, was billed as follows: ‘EN 17037 the New European Standard for Daylight of Buildings’: European Standards - the process; EN 17037 the process in practice and the options considered; the British National Annex; Lumière du jour en France et la Suisse; Case Studies. Speakers: Professor Peter Raynham (UK), Dr Paul Littlefair (UK), Dr Yannick Sutter (France) and Dr Bernard Paule (Switzerland).

A key discussion point was the proposal for a National Annex essentially rejecting the new standard and instead keeping the average daylight factor basis of the existing British Standard for daylight (BS 8206: 2008). The event attracted considerable interest from daylight practitioners, town planners, architects (and a few academics) such that it was

necessary to run the session twice on the same day in order to accommodate as many people as possible (~150 in total). During both sessions it became clear that only a small number of attendees supported the proposal for the UK National Annex (keeping with the daylight factor), whereas the overwhelming majority favoured the European Standard (i.e. the transition to realistic measures of daylight illuminance). This was confirmed following a speaker-requested vote that, over the two sessions, showed a ratio greater than 10:1 in favour of adopting the European Standard completely or with minor modifications.

Four months after the Daylight Group meeting, BSI announced that BS EN 17037 has been adopted, and conflicting standard BS 8206:2008 had been withdrawn.

“EN 17037 has been well-received across Europe, and all CEN member states have withdrawn any conflicting national standards.

The recommended performance goals have generally been welcomed by practitioners.”

PD/AT’s critique of EN 17037 appears to be directed to the daylight performance recommendations, the levels for which are, as noted, entirely informative. The standard also contains some general recommendations for sunlight/daylight planning. These are

Total dwelling annual sunlight beam index shown for eight orientations (London, UK). Temporal map shows monthly am/pm totals.

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DAYLIGHT & SUNLIGHT PLANNING very similar to what already existed in various nations across the EU, including BR 209 in the UK. I make no secret of the fact that I found all of the existing methodologies (including BR 209) to be unsatisfactory. In 2014 I decided that what was needed was a back-to-basics (radical?) re-evaluation of sunlight/daylight availability suitable for planning purposes.

Personal research A programme of personal research on this began, resulting in the formulation of a new schema for daylight/ sunlight evaluation which – in 2019 – I named aperture-based daylight modelling (ABDM). Too late to be considered for 17037, unfortunately.

The ABDM metrics account for the size of the windows — not a factor in BR 209. Thus ABDM gives an early indication of the potential for solar gain and, therefore, the risk of overheating.

The skylight part gives the daylighting potential of the windows, while the view component gives a numerical measure of, say, the visual impact of an external obstruction - allowing the possibility for view to become a material consideration in planning.

ABDM offers the potential for a seamless workflow progression from outline planning to detailed building performance evaluation, i.e. refining the outline/planning 3D model and ‘climatising’ the ABDM evaluation to full CBDM and/or an energy/thermal simulation. A paper describing how ABDM might be applied in an urban setting was given in September at the (virtual) 2020 CIBSE Technical Symposium.3 An ABDM evaluation considers the building aperture and its potential to provide sunlight, skylight and view. ABDM however does not consider the internal properties of the space. This apparent deficiency in

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fact offers particular advantages for daylight/sunlight planning assessments since the calculation is confined to an external domain where the evaluation is purely geometrical, i.e. not subject to the vagaries of the performance gap and essentially impossible to gameplay.

These are necessary prerequisites so that planning decisions are not at risk of being routinely challenged in court on the basis that different tools give different outcomes. Likely internal daylighting performance could then be inferred, fairly reliably I expect, from the aperture-based metrics and knowledge of the space properties.

These are very new ideas, but perhaps overdue: it’s taken nearly a quarter of a century to progress from (powerful but complex) climate-based daylight modelling to (informative but simple) aperture-based daylight modelling.

Maybe simplicity takes a bit longer than complexity to achieve.

“ABDM offers the potential for a seamless workflow progression from outline planning to detailed building performance evaluation, i.e. refining the outline/ planning 3D model and ‘climatising’ the ABDM evaluation to full CBDM and/or an energy/thermal simulation.”

References 1 J Mardaljevic and J Christoffersen, ‘Climate connectivity’ in the daylight factor basis of building standards, Building and Environment, 2017.

2 J Mardaljevic, ‘Climate-based daylight modelling and its discontents’, CIBSE Technical Symposium, London, UK, 16-17 April, 2015.

3 J Mardaljevic, ‘ABDM: A new approach for daylight and sunlight planning’ Symposium, CIBSE Technical Symposium, Virtual, 14-15 September, 2020.

4 https://www.guildofletting.com/ blog/2019/2/17/trip-the-light-fantastic (accessed 24/11/20) 5 Housing Health and Safety Rating System, Guidance for Landlords and Property Related Professionals, Department for Communities and Local Government: London, May 2006 https:// assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/9425/150940.pdf

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

SPECIAL FEATURE

daylight diary

Items under review include: amendments to prEN1873-1; rooflight U-values in relation to the building regulations; non-fragility claims to ACR [M] 001 for glass rooflights; and the forthcoming UKCA & UK(NI) marks.

We’ve recently renewed our membership of Eurolux, the European trade association for rooflights, maintaining our commitment to supporting the rooflighting agenda in the EU, following Brexit.

We will also soon be publishing a new document giving specification guidance on smoke vents. A number of our member companies supply these in addition to, or incorporated into rooflights.

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Our next scheduled General Meeting is in February. If you’re a UK rooflight supplier, you’re welcome to join us as a guest, to find out more about NARM’s work and future plans. Contact details are below.

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With standards and regulations concerning key aspects of rooflight specification under constant review, the NARM Technical Committee has been focusing significant attention on the provision of information to inform the relevant parties within government and standards bodies.

Our external Communications team has also been working hard, finalising details of our new campaign supporting the use of laminated inner panes on flat glass rooflights. The campaign has now been launched, so look out for details of it in this issue of Daylighting Magazine and other news media outlets serving the construction & roofing industries.

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Our most recent NARM General and Technical Committee Meetings were again held on-line to maintain covidsafety. The attendance was high and a lot of ground covered in both meetings as usual.

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A constructive end to Nov/Dec 2020 a challenging year

R O AD VERHE

LAMINATED INNER PANE ENDORSED BY

In the meantime, we wish you a safe and enjoyable festive season and a very happy New Year!

You can find out more about NARM and download our technical documents at: www.narm.org.uk Access our on-line RIBA CPD seminar and other CPD materials at: www. ribacpd.com Become a NARM member

Stay up-to-date with NARM on LinkedIn and Twitter

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

Rooflight glazing: check for the safety tick.

‘Misleading’ The term ‘toughened’ implies a degree of safety which in the case of rooflights, is misleading. Toughened glass inner panes actually bring a risk of shattering and falling into the room beneath and it is this fact that NARM is addressing with its campaign, following a number of worrying reports of potentially dangerous incidents involving poorly designed or installed rooflights.

NARM Safety Representative, Mark Wilcox said: “It is difficult to see how use of a toughened rather than laminated glass inner pane doesn’t present a risk to anyone beneath a rooflight, whatever the position or height of the installation. In our view, any risk assessment of a toughened

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CHO I CE E F

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Current British Standards define that inner panes on rooflights must be laminated in applications more than 5 metres above floor level (increased to 13 metres in limited circumstances) or are located over water (eg swimming pools). However, the relevant standard permits use of toughened glass inner panes in other applications, if a risk assessment is carried out and confirmation provided that this does not present additional risk to those below the rooflight.

S

NARM, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers, has launched a new campaign to support the requirement for laminated inner panes on glass rooflights for important safety reasons, bringing pressure on the British Standards Institute for a regulatory amendment.

D R O A VERHE

LAMINATED INNER PANE ENDORSED BY inner pane is therefore largely irrelevant.”

ACR support This is a position strongly supported

by ACR, the Advisory Committee for Roofsafety, a body founded by the Health & Safety Executive, dedicated to making working on roofs safer.

ACR has published its own document covering this issue, entitled: Glass

“It is difficult to see how use of a toughened rather than laminated glass inner pane doesn’t present a risk to anyone beneath a rooflight, whatever the position or height of the installation”

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

Toughened glass inner panes actually bring a risk of shattering and falling into the room beneath and it is this fact that NARM is addressing with its campaign

Specification in Flat Rooflights. This can be downloaded at: https://www.the-acr. org/publications/is5-glass-specificationin-flat-rooflights/

Look for the symbol The NARM campaign will focus on a new symbol, designed to draw attention to the need for a laminated inner pane. This will be promoted to professional and end user audiences via on-line, printed and social media, together with detailed information regarding the dangers of innapropriate glass specification in rooflights. The symbol is also being made available to NARM member companies, for use on their own marketing materials.

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With reference to some manufacturers supplying rooflights with inferior toughened glass inner panes, yet claiming excellence in quality standards, Ian Weakford, NARM’s Marketing Committe Chairman, said: “It’s important to note that a great looking rooflight isn’t neccessarily a great rooflight. Our aim is that this work will increase awareness of the importance of laminated glass inner panes and give reputable rooflight manufacturers the opportunity to differentiate the products from inferior offerings in the marketplace”.

“It’s important to note that a great looking rooflight isn’t neccessarily a great rooflight”

For further information, visit www.narm.org.uk

November/December 2020

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

New guidance on rooflight safety from ACR ACR, the Advisory Committee for Roofsafety, has published a new Information Sheet, entitled ‘Glass Specification in Flat Rooflights’, in response to concerns regarding inappropriate and potentially unsafe designs which have come to light recently.

The document, which references information provided by NARM, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers, gives clear guidance on design and glass specification for this type of rooflight.

Mark Wilcox, ACR committee member and Safety Representative for NARM, pointed out that: “It’s important to note that there are many high quality flat glass rooflights available from reputable suppliers, all of which offer excellent aesthetics and performance.

However, there have been a number of cases reported by individuals who have installed or commissioned what they believed to be high quality products, only to discover functional problems and more importantly, major safety concerns, following installation.”

Major concerns outlined in the document are: The use of inner panes made of toughened (rather than laminated) glass which can shatter under a number of circumstances (including, on occasion, spontaneously), falling into the room beneath.

The use of glass specifications which may be appropriate for use in vertical glazing, but are unsuitable for use in overhead glazing where glass can

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be almost horizontal, significantly increasing the stress on the pane.

Insufficient support for the inner glass pane, potentially allowing a whole glazed unit to fall into the room beneath if the outer pane is broken, jeopardising both safety and security.

Some recently reported designs

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS consist of nothing more than a doubleglazed unit stepped on all four sides with no perimeter frame, with the outer pane sealed/bonded to the top of an upstand and the inner pane hanging inside the upstand. Such designs are not recommended.

Potential dangers Poor designs or use of incorrect materials in rooflights of this type, bring significant risks to building occupants and personnel accessing roof areas for maintenance or other purposes.

In the case of building occupants, toughened glass inner panes present a clear hazard. The term ‘toughened’ implies a level of safety to the unititiated. However, whilst toughened glass breaks into rounded fragments rather than razor sharp shards, there are still a number of factors that can cause toughened glass to shatter. These include impacts on the glass; inclusions introduced in the manufacturing process which can cause glass to break if overstressed; and nickel sulphide in the glass, which although rare, can cause toughened glass to shatter spontaneously.

All of these factors can result in building occupants being exposed to danger from falling glass fragments: a risk that can be completely eliminated if a laminated glass inner pane is used.

Safety for maintenance staff and others needing to access roof areas, is also greatly compromised by inappropriate rooflight specification. In addition to using a laminated inner pane to protect building users, rooflights can also be specified and designed to be nonfragile in accordance with ACR[M]001 The Red Book - Test for Non-Fragility of Large Element Roofing Assemblies, and CWCT TN66 Safety and Fragility of Glazed Roofing: Guidance on

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Specification. This is intended to ensure that anyone accidentally walking or falling onto a rooflight will not fall through it, even if it results in the glass being broken or the rooflight being damaged.* The Advisory Committee for Roofsafety (previously known as the Advisory Committee for Roof Work) is a body dedicated to making working on roofs safer. Established in 1998 from a working group, it was originally set up by invitation of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to look at the issue of fragility of Roofing Assemblies.

“Safety for maintenance staff and others needing to access roof areas, is also greatly compromised by inappropriate rooflight specification.”

This latest ACR document contains information on the relevant British Standards pertaining to glass rooflight specification, including reference to security compliance. It can be downloaded free of charge from the ACR website at: https://www.the-acr. org/publications/ The wide range of other roof-safety related documents published by ACR can also be downloaded here, including: The Red Book ACR(M)001-2019 [Sixth edition] - Test for Non-Fragility of Large Element Roofing Assemblies; The Orange Book ACR[CP]001: 2016 Rev 5 Recommended Practice for work on Profiled Sheeted Roofs; and many others. www.the-acr.org

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

Awakening the beauty of natural light With a growing demand for superior energy efficient solutions that provide stylish and stunning design, the rooflight industry continues to evolve to provide a way for businesses and homeowners to achieve this balance. Daylight is a vital part of our existence, with our brains conditioned to respond to natural light. Incorporating rooflights into your design ensures a more environmentally friendly way to heighten mental wellbeing by drawing natural light and creating a spectacular enhancement.

The Rooflight Company, a leading rooflight manufacturer renowned for its heritage and contemporary designs, is mainly known for its ground-breaking Conservation Rooflight. However, with continuous innovation at its core, there is a new addition to the range providing a contemporary alternative and offering the best option in the market for energy efficiency. The neo Advance is a new double-glazed flat rooflight that achieves the lowest possible U-value thanks to its extruded aluminium frame and innovative Thermal Shield technology.

Why do we need daylight?

Exposure to daylight helps us to maintain good general health and helps us to feel energised and productive. Artificially lit rooms are a feature of modern life but new energy-efficient designs can now incorporate contemporary, traditional or bespoke rooflights to create a gateway for natural light into previously unreachable corners. There are multiple ways to integrate roof window design into your property as a striking part of the design or a seamless way

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to enhance the beauty and angles of natural light.

Introducing the neo Advance The neo Advance range of rooflights

by The Rooflight Company responds to customer demand and the environmental need to reduce energy consumption while maintaining the contemporary look that adds value and beauty to any design project, awakening the beauty of natural light.

The ability to specify a product that brings in more daylight than a standard window, reduce heat loss and remain visually stunning, inside and out, is the perfect solution for any new design requiring the benefits and beauty of natural light.

Now, neo Advance’s aluminium frame combined with the company’s patented Thermal Shield technology improves thermal efficiency and protects against mould and condensation, allowing for a whole-window U-value as low as 1.06 W/m2k in a double glazed unit, meaning the unit is significantly lighter than its triple-glazed counterpart, while also delivering market-leading thermal efficiency for the window frame. Its

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

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November/December 2020

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

aluminium frame also makes it ideal for properties on the coast where the sea air can accelerate the corrosion of steel window systems.

It remains free from unsightly fixings, ensuring clean lines and contemporary aesthetics and no distraction from the view it presents. The flat opening rooflight has a concealed motor within the framework, with an option to operate via a switch or through remote control technology.

There is a range of six standard sizes, up to 2m by 1m, for the motorised opening and seven sizes, up to 3m by 1m, for the fixed option and you can be confident in the knowledge that the neo Advance is suitable for any location of your project. It is designed and manufactured in the UK by a skilled team of craftsmen in the glorious Cotswolds.

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Steve Webber, Managing Director at The Rooflight Company, says, “neo Advance represents a significant step forward in The Rooflight Company’s journey. “neo Advance really is a beautiful rooflight that offers an unparalleled view of the sky, providing a perfect and energy-efficient way to increase daylight. It’s a testament to the skill and creativity of our innovation and manufacturing teams.”

To find out more about neo Advance and The Rooflight Company, visit www.therooflightcompany.co.uk or call 01993 833155.

“The ability to specify a product that brings in more daylight than a standard window, reduce heat loss and remain visually stunning, inside and out, is the perfect solution for any new design requiring the benefits and beauty of natural light.”

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Trusted to deliver high performing elegant rooflights.

Heritage | Modern | Bespoke www.therooflightcompany.co.uk enquiries@therooflightcompany.co.uk | 01993 833155

Trusted by Architects, respected by Builders, loved by Homeowners.

GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

The Elephant in the Roof Paul Trace from Stella Rooflight discusses the practicalities involved in specifying large rooflights As a bespoke rooflight manufacturer we often see grand plans with expansive areas of roof glazing, as architects continue to seek innovative ways in which to exploit natural daylight.

As much as bespoke rooflights can certainly help bring these designs to life, there are some important factors that need to be considered when the glazing is turned from drawing to reality.

In recent years we have noticed a trend towards larger rooflights, with sizes regularly exceeding 2500mm in width, height or both. While Stella can certainly accommodate these, one has to appreciate the practicalities of weight, transportation and cost.

It stands to reason that the larger the rooflight, the thicker the glass will need to be, therefore as rooflight sizes get bigger their weight can increase exponentially. In context, our double glazed units comprising of 4mm thick glass weigh 20kgs per square metre and those using 6mm are 30kgs per square metre. Triple glazed units are 30kgs and 45kgs respectively. Add the stainless steel frames and hardwood liners into the equation and you can start to see how even a modest sized rooflight can weigh something akin to a small elephant! Indeed it’s not uncommon for us to produce rooflights weighing in excess of 200kg.

The reality is that when you scale things up even the simplest plans can start to become complex - a truth that

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should be all too familiar to architects.

But before drawing that large rectangle on a roof plan, it is important to consider how the rooflight is going to be lifted from the ground to roof level and what the weight implications might be for the structure. Stella can weld stainless eyelets to the rooflight frame to aid the lifting process and we would suggest doing this on frames

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

which weigh in excess of 100kg, which is the point where we expect a crane might be required. However, does the site have suitable access for any specialist lifting equipment, and has this additional cost been budgeted for?

The weight of an opening rooflight will also determine whether it is manually operated or requires electric actuation. We would suggest that our largest manually operated rooflight be around 1000mm wide or 1400mm high. Anything over this size will generally require electric actuation to lift the weight and in the case of wider casements, to provide a tight seal. Manual operating casements are less expensive than electric so there is a cost element that also needs to be considered when specifying larger opening rooflights. There is no maximum size in terms of what is possible to manufacture, although it is worth keeping in mind that a single piece of glass with an area over 5m2 becomes significantly more expensive.

Fortunately there are alternatives to using large expensive single panes of glazing, such as introducing glazing bars to reduce the unit sizes, linking

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frames, and having more than one casement. This not only makes the rooflights easier to transport, lift and install, but can also reduce the price.

If a large, single rooflight is the only option for your project then you must also make sure that it is safe to install. While rooflight manufacturers will be able to provide advice on a suitable specification for the job in terms of materials, glazing thickness, functionality and installation, it is ultimately the responsibility of a structural engineer to ensure that the product being specified is fit (and safe) for the building that it is fitted into.

To avoid any ambiguity it is fairly essential that the architect, structural engineer and rooflight manufacturer discuss large rooflight installations, likely weights, load bearings, site access, and lifting capacity at an early stage to avoid any problems down the line. It is not advisable to leave this for the builder to deal with at the last minute.

Another area for consideration should be the safety of large areas of glazing situated high up in a roof structure.

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS Again, much like an elephant, there is a lot of grey area here!

the market with potentially dangerous products.

No glass is impervious to breakage so it is important to remember that roof glazing can and often does sit high above common areas in a home or office, so there will always be an element of concern if a unit were to break.

area of a glass pane gets hotter than an adjacent area. If the stress is too great, then the glass will crack. The stress level at which the glass will break is governed by several factors. Toughened glass is very resilient and not prone to failing due to thermal stress. Laminated glass and annealed glass behave in a similar way and the thicker the glass the less tolerant it becomes, which is an important factor for larger rooflights.

“To avoid any ambiguity it is Regardless of size your rooflight However, laminating rooflight glass fairly essential should meet the BS 5516-2: 2004 creates its own unique set of problems, that the architect, patent glazing and sloping glazing as annealed laminate is prone to for buildings standard. This code of thermal fracture and heat stress. This structural engineer practice for sloping glazing defines risk can be reduced by polishing and rooflight that inner panes must always be edges, however the low-e coating is laminated wherever rooflights are not practical for polished edges as manufacturer more than 5 metres above floor level there is a risk of damaging the coating. discuss large (increased to 13 metres for panes less Swapping the low-e coating for a than 3 square metres) or are located laminated glass with treated edges rooflight over water (e.g. swimming pools). The is likely to have a negative impact on installations, likely Standard permits the use of toughened the thermal performance of the unit. inner panes in other applications (for Using products such as SGG Cool-Lite weights, load example where rooflights are less than on the outer pane can help as this bearings, site 5 metres from floor level), but only has both solar reflective and thermal where a stringent risk assessment for coatings but these do not have a self- access, and lifting the particular application has been clean coating which is an important capacity at an early completed and has concluded that the consideration for pitched rooflights stage to avoid any use of toughened glass does not give as they are usually positioned out of any additional risk to those below the reach. problems down the rooflight. line.”

Thermal Stress is created when one

Certain industry bodies are calling for all rooflight glazing to include a laminated inner pane to provide greater security in the event that the glass breaks. Much the same as how car windscreens are required by law to be laminated to protect passengers from shattered glass in the event of an accident. There can be no dispute that laminated glass is safer because it forms a net when broken, which remains in one piece, whereas toughened glass breaks into little cubes and will fall down onto whatever is below.

As laminated glass is more expensive, the industry perhaps sees this as a way of combatting the cohort of cheap flat rooflight products that have flooded

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The temperature difference for a location can be calculated and the risk of breakage due to thermal reasons reduced. However, to assess the thermal risk you will need to take the following factors into consideration: • Type of glass being specified for the insulating glass units • Where the building is located • Orientation of the rooflight • Size of any glazing bars (if required) • Details of any internal shading such as blinds or louvres

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GLASS ROOFLIGHTS

• The framing material and powder coat colour • The window size and if it opens as this will change the angle to the sun • Whether any radiators are located directly below the rooflight • Any other details like other buildings or trees casting a shadow onto the glass.

The risk of thermal cracking and heat stress changes throughout the year with the highest risk seasons being spring and autumn due to the low angle of the sun and the lower evening temperatures.

Solar control glass either reflects energy or absorbs it to reradiate the heat outwards. By its nature it gets hotter than clear glass and glass that is designed for thermal efficiency alone.

Whilst the majority of installations are within the operating tolerance, in some cases fluctuation in heat can put the stress beyond the limits.

Laminated glass is also heavier which needs to be remembered

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when planning lifting schedules and structural requirements.

Another issue experienced with laminated glass is a phenomenon called lensing, where images become distorted. This doesn’t necessarily cause such an issue with flat rooflight glazing where the view is a simple sky backdrop, but on pitched rooflights with a view of a landscape, this distortion will be a problem.

In summary, while there is a growing trend for projects to include more and larger rooflights, it is not as straightforward as just adding them to the plans. Clearly there is so much more to specifying large rooflights than meets the eye and while your rooflight manufacturer will be able to provide recommendations, ultimately having a better understanding of what glazing is required and involving a qualified structural engineer in the early phases will resolve any issues you may have further down the line.

“... while there is a growing trend for projects to include more and larger rooflights, it is not as straightforward as just adding them to the plans. Clearly there is so much more to specifying large rooflights than meets the eye...”

www.stellarooflight.co.uk

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November/December 2020

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CURTAIN WALL SYSTEMS

Milestone firsts in steel/ glass curtain wall fire test Wrightstyle, the leading advanced glazing system specialist, has successfully achieved a milestone fire test which the Company claims has international significance.

The test at Warringtonfire on one of Wrightstyle’s steel and glass advanced curtain wall systems has breakthrough significance for a number of fire safety applications.

The company, which supplies its external and internal systems worldwide, tested its WSL SR60 curtain wall framing system with SCHOTT PYRANOVA® 120 glass to 148 minutes integrity and insulation.

However, the test was carried out with the exterior building surface facing into the furnace. This made the test significantly more demanding on the system components.

It makes the Wrightstyle system an ideal solution in places where a high level of integrity and insulation is required – for example, in atriums, fire escapes and between buildings, or as a fire break between different areas of a building.

This also provides a tested advantage to provide fire protection between higher risk areas such as car parks and workshops and lower risk areas such as offices and a building’s reception.

“This is an excellent result for our SR60 curtain walling system and further underlines the quality and high performance offered by our systems,” said Chris Peters, chief design manager.

Wrightstyle high performance systems

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can be found across the UK, and from the USA to New Zealand. Contract completions in the past few weeks have been in the Kingdom of Jordan, for a new tourist village, and Hong Kong, for a flagship museum of art.

The company has long expertise working across sectors on both large and small projects. A good example of multi-directional compartmentation would be to provide a fire break between a supermarket and its underground car park – and Wrightstyle has been involved in such projects.

“... the test was carried out with the exterior building surface facing into the furnace. This made the test significantly more demanding on the system components.”

“We are seeing more demand from the export market for this higher specification curtain walling, as specifiers design in compartments with a fire risk from either side of the glass,” said Chris Peters.

In addition to adding further test evidence to an already comprehensive list, the test incorporated steel spandrel panels, making it one of the first alternative infill options to achieve two hours of integrity and insulation performance.

The SR60 system is also fully weather certified being a gasket glazed system, an enormous advance on more commonly-used tape glazed system.

Spandrel panels can have both a functional and aesthetic purpose, and generally have to meet thermal,

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CURTAIN WALL SYSTEMS

acoustic, fire performance and moisture requirements.

The target performance for the Wrightstyle test was to achieve EI120 (120 minutes integrity and insulation).

The test ran for a period of 148 minutes, exceeding the criteria for a pass by 23%, an overrun that is rare in high performance tests.

Full furnace temperature was achieved after some 60 minutes into the test, with a peak temperature of 1050 degrees C. The test module size was three metres by three metres and the test was jointly carried out by Wrightstyle and SCHOTT Technical Glass Solutions GmbH, one of the world’s leading speciality glass manufacturers.

Helmut Kugelmann, Sales Director for Fire Resistant and Security Glazing at SCHOTT, commented, “SCHOTT were very happy to work with Wrightstyle on this fire test and look forward to further cooperation, in developing the

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worldwide demand for fully tested safe solutions that exceed local building code requirements.”

The SR60 curtainwall framing system, which can be installed internally or externally, also gives Wrightstyle renewal of a full global assessment and fresh test evidence to underline the capabilities of the system.

“This gives architects and specifiers new confidence in the WSL SR60 system, allowing them to push the boundaries of fire safety,” said Chris Peters.

“Including spandrel panel in the test adds a new level of fire safety to an aspect of the building envelope where a curtain wall framing system is used – these should not to be confused with cladding panels, which are entirely different,” he said. www.wrightstyle.co.uk

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DAYLIGHTING ICONS The biggest: the best: the most awe-inspiring; the most outrageous; the most influential...

In this regular feature we indulge ourselves and our readers with images of daylighting projects throughout the years that simply deserve a double page photograph...

New York Times Building, Manhattan Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in association with FXFOWLE Architects, the New York Times Builing is one of the City’s tallest structures.

The use of floor-to-ceiling glass maximizes light and views for people inside and outside the building. The horizontal white ceramic rods on the building facade, which are spaced to allow occupants to have unobstructed views while both seated and standing, act as an aesthetic veil and a sun shade. Additionally, the automated louvre shades move in response to the position of the sun and inputs from sensors, blocking light to reduce glare or allowing it to enter at times of less direct sunlight. The movable shades reduce energy consumption about 13% by reducing solar heat gain by 30%.

This design allows the sun to be the main source of light to the building’s interior.

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DAYLIGHTING ICONS

Roman Babakin / Shutterstock. com

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November/December 2020

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@Daylighting_Mag

Twitterings Follow us for regular updates between issues... in the meantime, more highlights...

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DAYLIGHTING MAGAZINE

DAYLIGHTING Magazine back issues Click on the cover images below to open back issues Issue 2 Jan/Feb 2017

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DELIVERING DAYLIGHT TO DUNDEE’S NEW V&A

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Issue 24 September/October 2020

Is the new European Standard measuring daylight in buildings is too complicated?

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