Basics Glass Construction

Glass Construction is one of the most varied and innovative areas of structural design. This volume helps to build an understanding of the construction material and its possible applications.

Glass construction is one of the most varied and innovative areas of structural design. Glass connects exterior and interior spaces; at the same time, it protects the interior space from the outside world. Its constructional possibilities go far beyond classical window constructions. Special glasses possess astonishing physical characteristics and can thus be used in varied and creative ways. Topics: Glass as building material Processing and finishing Applications Construction types Connections / Mountings

"Glass in Building" opens up a whole range of fascinating design possibilities for the planning architect. Glass has long served as a translucent room closing element, but its range of possible uses is actually much wider. It not only offers protection against the external world, for example, noise or fire; despite its apparent fragility, it can even take on load-bearing functions in supporting structures. In combination with various different finishing methods, materials, and coatings, it also satisfies exacting structural-physical standards. "Glass in Building" offers a clear, compact, and illustrated overview of the material-appropriate use of this varied and versatile material in building construction and provides information that goes far beyond the basics on designing with glass and producing and using specialized glass products, as well as on the building and planning regulations that must be taken into account when constructing with glass. A selection of exemplary realized projects rounds out the theoretical section. Das Bauen mit Glas eröffnet dem planenden Architekten faszinierende gestalterische Möglichkeiten. Schon lange dient es als lichtdurchlässiger Raumabschluss, ist aber weitaus vielfältiger einsetzbar: Glas bietet nicht nur Schutz vor der Aussenwelt, etwa gegen Lärm oder Feuer, sondern kann trotz seiner vermeintlichen Zerbrechlichkeit sogar lastabtragende Funktionen innerhalb eines Tragwerks übernehmen. In Kombination mit verschiedenen Veredelungsmethoden, Materialien und Beschichtungen erfüllt es auch hohe bauphysikalische Anforderungen. „Detail Practice: Konstruktiver Glasbau" liefert einen kompakten, anschaulichen Überblick über den materialgerechten Einsatz dieses facettenreichen Baustoffs in der Baukonstruktion und vermittelt weit über die Grundlagen hinausreichende Informationen zum Entwerfen mit Glas, zur Herstellung und Anwendung spezieller Glasprodukte sowie zu den baurechtlichen Regelungen, die im Glasbau zu berücksichtigen sind. Eine Auswahl beispielhafter realisierter Projekte rundet den theoretischen Teil ab.

Buildings with wide spans, such as industrial plants and warehouses, are usually built with steel. The architect must understand the specific material properties and requirements of steel as a construction material, including its static properties, which influence dimensioning and profile selection. Step by step, Basics Steel Construction imparts the basic understanding needed for planning with steel as a building material.

A roof over one’s head is a basic need – it provides shelter from rain, wind and the cold. In addition to these requirements, the structure must be load bearing and stable. Out of traditional craftsmanship, roof shapes and typologies have developed that fulfill these tasks and endure to this day. Basics Roof Construction describes the different kinds of roofs and which advantages and disadvantages each of them has. It explains which tasks are performed by the structural elements and layers and how to account for these in planning construction. The objective is to provide students with the principles, properties and technical terms of construction so that they can implement this knowledge in concrete design plans: from building, to insulation and sealing, all the way to the basics of drainage.

Timber is one of the most elementary and oldest building materials used by mankind, and has still not lost any of its attractiveness and topicality. In many cultural spheres and climate zones, the primary construction methods of domestic architecture include both masonry construction and timber construction. However, this living, lightweight, and easy-to-work material has specific characteristics that impact on the way it is used in construction in different ways compared to other building materials. In order to develop high-quality designs that suit the material, architects need to be familiar with the specific characteristics of this building material and with the rules governing timber construction. The new edition of the successful Basics Timber Construction volume lists the most common solid timber construction systems, including that using solid timber wall elements, as well as the rules, applications, and the relevant details.

Once the design has been completed, the architects prepare the tender documents for the contractors, and provide support during the tender procedure. For the purpose of commissioning various building works it is necessary to set up building contracts which contain standard content as well as very individual provisions. The building contract and its extensive drawings and specifications are the basis for the building work; they must be understood by the supervising architect and implemented to create the building. The complexity and diversity of building contracts is increased by the fact that there is hardly a building contract that does not have to be modified after it has been signed. Basics Building Contract offers the typical structures and explanations, as well as the tools for creating project-specific contracts and understanding the inherent complexity.

Glass offers a wide variety of possible applications for the realization of even the most ambitious designs in architecture, and in the past two decades it has experienced an unparalleled burst of innovation. For planners, this means working constantly with this high-performance material. In compact and appealing form, the completely revised Glass Construction Manual presents the current state of the art on planning and building with glass, from the history through the technical foundations all the way to the most innovative applications. Astonishing perspectives on thermal insulation and solar protection and the addition of thoughtfully selected new practical examples round off this comprehensive reference work.