Glass Block
This glass building material creates walls that allow light to pass through. The joints between the Glass Blocks function as louvers, letting soft, even light into the room instead of direct sunlight like window glass. The light can be controlled according to the design, such as subtly blocking sightlines or filling the space with light. When combined with lighting, it offers a unique opportunity for creative design expression.
Features
Controlling Light, Sound, and Heat
Dispersing and refracting light. Allowing or blocking lines of sight. Blocking sound and heat. Glass Blocks are versatile building materials that can be chosen for various functions based on their installation location, providing excellent thermal insulation and fire resistance.
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Translucency
Unlike plate glass, a wall made of Glass Blocks that transmits, refracts, and reflects light helps create a bright room filled with soft, natural light.
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Sound insulation
Glass Blocks serve as a translucent sound-insulating wall material.With their hollow interior, they offer the highest sound transmission loss among light-transmissive materials.
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Thermal insulation properties
The interior of the Glass Block is nearly a vacuum at 0.3 atmospheric pressure, resulting in thermal transmittance that is less than half that of 5mm thick plate glass. This provides excellent thermal insulation and minimizes the risk of surface condensation.
Comparison of thermal transmittance
| Material | Thermal transmittance（W/㎡･K） | |
|---|---|---|
| Glass Block | 145×145×50mm | 2.82 |
| 145×145×95mm | 2.55 | |
| 190×190×95mm | 2.41 | |
| 300×300×98mm | 2.36 | |
| Fair-faced concrete | 150mm | 4.05 |
| Flat glass | 5mm | 5.9 |
| Double glazing | 5-A6-5mm | 3.4 |
Construction Example
Dogo Sacred Mother Kindergarten, Rosario Educational Institution (Ehime prefecture)
Products used: Kasumi 190ｍｍ square, Kasumi ceramic color (sky blue, blue, orange) 190mm square, and Frosted plain 190mm square.
