Glass Fin Walls in Focus

First introduced over 40 years ago by Pilkington, Pilkington Planar™ point-supported glass fin walls are still one of the most utilized methods of creating highly transparent facades. Glass mullions (fins) form the structural back-up system, which is usually hung from the structure above. Countersunk point-supported fittings, with bolt heads the size of a quarter, are attached to the vertical fins using Pilkington Planar™ custom hardware. Facade glass joints are fully siliconed together to create a weathertight system allowing for proper system movement. The combined weight of the facade and fins are hung from above and connected at top and bottom back to the structure for transfer of all loads. In this way, these facades can reach great heights without the concern for any progressive collapse if a lower fin or face glass lite had been broken.

We don’t always think of glass as a structural element, but Pilkington Planar™ system glass fin walls are rigorously tested to ensure they stand up to the toughest standards. Dynamic water, air, and seismic testing are all part of the best practice industry assessment standards these systems have been tested for. Beyond industry standards, the system has also been tested for Fail Safe Redundancy. These internal and third-party tests further stress these systems with wind pressure cycling after breakage of lower lites of face glass and fins, in order to prove that the overall structural integrity of the glass wall isn’t compromised should one fin or lite fail. Every project has its own unique set of construction details that must be taken into account. While there is a possibility to base load fins to the ground up to 32 feet, we will only engineer/supply systems that are suspended from above where there is the potential for high seismic activity to prevent any catastrophic system failure.

Strength, durability, and the beauty of a transparent facade are at the core of what makes glass fin walls such a popular point-supported structural glazing system option in the market today. Unmatched in its ability to blur the line between the inside and outside, structurally sound glass fins are the perfect example of form and function. If you are thinking of utilizing a point-supported system with glass fins on your next project, contact us and we will help you get started.

W&W Glass LLC is a family owned business with a 70-year history in the metal and structural glass industry, one of the largest metal and glass companies in the New York metropolitan area and the largest supplier of structural glass systems in the country. We have over two decades of experience in the design and installation of various building enclosure systems, including stick-built curtain walls, pre-glazed unitized curtain walls, Pilkington Planar™ structural glass facades, and custom metal and glass enclosure systems. We install all of our work with our own dedicated union labor force. W&W is consistently the largest employer of glaziers in the NY metropolitan area.