Wednesday, January 23, 2008

A "Nickel" for your thoughts?

When USGNN linked the story about the Des Moines Library last Thursday I had a feeling that a new discussion issue would be right in front of us. The original story was from the local paper and did not have the details that we as industry look for or care about. Soon after the details began to trickle out and it brought back an old industry bugaboo… Nickel Sulfide Inclusions. The whole Nickel Sulfide thing was a hot topic back in the 80’s and early 90’s but it faded away because glass made domestically was improved to contain virtually no Nickel Sulfide. Thus any breakage that may have occurred was linked to something else on the job. It’s back now, and on this job, because the glass was made overseas. (And keep in mind, Glass from communist China has it because they ignore the sophisticated advances that the others in the world have made) So while it seemed to catch everyone’s eye and the call for unnecessary heat soaks rang out, the answer is simple… buy glass made in North America and Nickel Sulfide is a problem you probably WON’T have. Just another reason to support the home fires….

Elsewhere…

-- The comical part of the Des Moines Library job is that the glass was from Germany and it was very expensive. The taxpayers in that town are furious and they have every right to be. That EXACT look could’ve been reproduced using several domestic methods at a fraction of the cost and with no Nickel Sulfide included. (Not sure on the performance goals, but I can pretty much guarantee that could’ve been handled domestically too)

-- It is a real shame. This may be the first time I can remember that someone went overseas and paid more…

-- Plus the job is a LEED one… I guess they didn’t get the local manufacturing credits eh?

-- CONGRATULATIONS to USGlass Magazine for taking a plum sponsorship at the BEC event in Las Vegas next month. With every heavy hitter in the industry there, that sponsorship will continue to prove USGlass to be the industry voice. Furthermore, by being a sponsor USGlass is SUPPORTING the industries efforts and all of us should be thankful. And that sentiment goes for all of the companies who are sponsoring that event… It is money well spent and will be thoroughly appreciated.

-- Speaking of Vegas… saw this week that one of the new Hotel and Casino projects going up in Vegas is in some trouble… The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino is now facing foreclosure… due to open in late 2009, I guess we will see if they can get it cleaned up and back on track. That is one of 4 major projects happening right now there and you have to ask yourself, when will enough be too much? Eventually someone is going to “build it” and no one will “come”

-- A wild week so far on Wall Street… despite the up and down nature most of industry related stocks are hanging in OK… possibly the rate cut makes investors think that building will keep going on the commercial side, and maybe they are thinking the worst is over on the residential side… it bears watching….

-- On the flip side though, with the economy getting tighter, rumors do run rampant… most of the ones I get are about the possible closings of companies in our industry…. If any of the e-mails I get come true, it will be shocking and sad that some of these places are going by the wayside. Then again, there’s segments in our industry that are very fat… and in lean times, unfortunately not everyone can make it. Should be interesting to see what pans out and not… since the rumor of a companies demise has always been a popular one in our industry BUT its accuracy level is about the same as Brett Favre’s was on late Sunday night…

-- Last, I am looking forward to the Super Bowl… I’ll have my pick in this space next week. Remember I pretty much nailed last years game- even with the score listed! So we’ll see if I was a one year wonder or not…..

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very interesting about the Des Moines Library as I remember visiting the jobsite during construction and being shocked at the exterior glass selection, which includes a mesh looking metal panel inside te IG's. The windows sounded like a snare drum when somebody tapped on the glass and/or high winds were present. I've always been curious if this rattle-like noise transmits to the inside (how annoying for a "quiet" place like a library) on a windy day when the embedded mesh product rattles inside the window like it was the evening I visited ... hmm, might this rattling also be a potential cause of the glass breakage?

As far as Nickel Sulfide defects, I don't think Des Moines can win a lawsuit taking this angle as NiS is always present in float glass to a certain extent and heat soaking would have only increased the statistical likelihood of this glass not breaking due to Nis after it was installed.

I wonder if the breakage may have something to do with thermal stress from the manufacturer not understanding how the metal mesh interlayer affects this equation or possibly from getting carried away by making the IG's too big and not being able to handle the respective windloads - or a combination of both and more.

Maybe they'd have been better off with an american made, less expensive, low-e IG configuration without the crazy mesh interlayer and then spending the savings on books & media for their patrons ... or incorporating solar technology or something more functional & Green then what they have today.

PS. I think the library installed a roof top garden ... if so, Kudos to them!

Anonymous said...

"It bears watching"....please, don't say bear when discussing the stock market!

Max Perilstein said...

Anon #1

Thanks for the post- GREAT INSIGHT from being there...

Plus you make a great point on the Heat Soak issue too... The whole thing is a shame....

By the way, when I first got wind of the job I was told the glass was "cracking" so I thought for sure it was thermal stress.... but evidently my definition f "cracks" and the witnesses definition are different...

Great stuff! Thanks

Max Perilstein said...

Anon 2

Yes I need to watch that... I guess I shoulda said "we'll bull-ishly watch things"

That may have been better!!!!

Anonymous said...

Max,
The project you mention in Las Vegas was to be installed by Far East Aluminum (yes the Chinese). Of course, that means the materials would have come from there as well. I feel bad for Vegas if the Cosmopolitan is iced, but not too bad if Far East doesn't get to install cheap glass and metal onto the project....

Max Perilstein said...

I had heard the Cosmo was going the way of the communists... but was not sure... well I am with you those sentiments for sure!

Thanks for reading and posting!

Anonymous said...

Here's a piece from e-glass weekly specifically about the NiS problems: http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/nga/issues/2008-01-22/index.html

Max Perilstein said...

Anon-

Thanks for the link- good stuff!

This really is an amazing story....

Thanks for reading and posting.

Anonymous said...

Nickel for your thoughts? I'd like your thoughts on a recent release from a large glass fabricator talking about the requirement to use only silicone setting blocks? What is this all about? Is there a concern over bad setting blocks in the marketplace?

100% silicone blocks are more $$ than EPDM blocks that are supposedly compatible. Why the requirement??

Max Perilstein said...

Anon-

thanks for the post- very interesting stuff... I know of the fabricator you speak of and they usually have very good reasons to do what they do.

I'll be curious though how this goes over at the next round of IGMA and GANA meetings to see if and what may be in play.

I guess its one to watch for sure.

Thanks again-

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if all of the glass on the Des Moines Library is fully tempered and if so, why?

Typically North American fabricators recommend that fully tempered glass only be used in safety glazing applications, as fire breakout lites and in the rare situation where the windload requires glass of that strength. Otherwise annealed or heat-strengthened glass is commonly used and is less likely to experience spontaneous breakage.

Max Perilstein said...

I want to say its tempered but laminated.... not positive on that... I'll confirm...

Thanks for posting!

Anonymous said...

Found this link on a google search.
It appears the glass may be from china after all.....

http://www.copper.org/resources/discover/dc_fall2006/pdf/dc_fall2006_2.pdf