The design employed a mounting method with no vertical support, relying on angle force to partially support the vertical sides.  Louis Moreau, Senior Technical Specialist at AGNORA, recommended Eckersley O’Callaghan Engineering (EOC) of New York conduct a wind load assessment & Finite Element Analysis that would study the Tower geometry and angle force.  This study confirmed that triple laminates using ½” thick lites would structurally suffice.

Products

Eastman’s Saflex® DG41 XC structural interlayer provided the team with a product solution that satisfied both design and quality.  Produced specifically to meet the demanding optical requirements typical to low iron glass applications, it also provided a superior structural capacity enabling laminates to sustain higher loads.

Pilkington NSG Group collaborated with AGNORA to meet the FAA’s requirement of Q1 quality for this viewing glass.   Each lite went through line scanner inspections, followed by further visual inspections. Any defects were measured and documented.  The result was that on this newly constructed tower, AGNORA supplied glazing quality level “Q1” also known as mirror quality glass.

{ Q1 quality level means there are no glass defects larger than 1/32”  and any existing are more than  60” apart for the whole 1 ½” assembly. }

Project Conclusion

Key Glass LLC and representatives from the FAA inspected the 10 laminates at AGNORA’s Collingwood facility prior to shipment.  The shared commitment of our suppliers to support the exacting nature of these thick laminates was key to this projects success.