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While the number of exhibitors and attendees (10,000) rose to an all-time high at GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window and Door Expo, the nagging problem of a labour shortage was a common theme voiced by executives from most US companies exhibiting at the show.

Most machines displayed had one common trait: ease. ‘People are looking for machinery to be as user friendly as possible so they don’t need as much experience of people, or they can havea fewer people on the line’, said James Gulnick, Sales Manager for Tamglass America.

Preparing for a recession

About 100 glazing company owners and project managers attened the daylong Glazing Executives Forum, September 18 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

While the US economy will grow through 2008, glass company managers need to prepare for a downturn in 2009 and 2010, according to Jeff Dietrich, senior analyst for the Institute for Trend Research in Concord, New Hampshire.

While glazing executives won’t be able to avoid the downturn, Dietrich said they can prepare for it and lessen its effects by diversifying into several sectors of the non-residential construction market. One of Dietrich’s recommendations was that firms should develop a energy policy to reduce consumption and save on fuel costs.

Lack of cutting-edge designs

Many US architects refrain from specifying heavily engineered and innovative glazing systems because of the liability risks involved, reported several glazing officials. ‘There are a handful of special architects who don’t mind taking risks, but most say, show me where it has been used 50 other times first’, said Richard Voreis, Chief Executive Officer of Consulting Collaborative in Dallas.

Cable-net structural glass is one type of system slowly making its way into American design, said Frank Stafford, principal for Advanced Structures, Inc. of Los Angeles. The technology involves cable stretched in two directions, making a ‘tennis racket out of stainless steel’, he said. Corner clamps attach the glass to the cables.

Safford said that the entrance of several top European designers into the US architectural landscape will push more American firms to move forward with riskier design elements.

Gas filling vs. ‘gas content’

Insulating glass units manufactured and certified to the highest quality 25 years ago continue to perform well, according to an analysis of data from a 1980-2005 field-correlation study conducted by the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance of Ottawa, Ontario.

The IGMA study consisted of visual inspection of more than 1,700 IG units installed in commercial and residential applications around the country. The study found a total failure rate of just more than nine per cent among the units examined after 25 years. Those units achieving a ‘CBA’ rating – the highest level of certification achieveable under ASTM International’s standards and certification at the time – had a failure rate of only 3.6%.

The Insulating Division Marketing Committee of the Glass Association of North America engaged in a debate on whether to replace the phrase ‘gas fill’ with ‘gas content’. The latter, some claim, might invite ‘percentage of gas’ numbers to be included with the term. The GANA staff members were asked to provide a draft outline for a generic IG brochure.

GlassBuild America 2007 is scheduled for September 10-12 in Atlanta, Georgia. See