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ClearShield Reaches Dizzy
New Heights
The Shanghai World Financial Center (WFC), set
to become the world's tallest building, is the
latest skyscraper to benefit from Ritec's
ClearShield glass surface protection system...
Scheduled for completion in 2008, it
will have 101 storeys and be 492m high. The
project also represents a new world record for
ClearShield, which has been specified for many
other high-rise buildings around the world to
prevent glass surface degradation during the
build programme. ClearShield is being factory-applied
to all the Shanghai WFC's exterior glass to
protect it before, during and after construction.
Glass destruction during construction is a
contractors' nightmare and refers to the damage
caused by concrete splatter, cement dust,
moisture attack and cleaning materials. Alone,
or in combination, these substances will damage
the surface, often resulting in the need to
replace the glass completely - leading to
construction delays and costly financial
penalties.
Before Ritec pioneered architectural glass
surface protection with its invention of
ClearShield back in 1981, the most common
solution was to cover glass with plastic
sheeting. However, this is not always a
practical or reliable option, particularly on
tall buildings and in windy conditions. By using
ClearShield, glass can be protected during
handling, transportation, storage and
installation. As a further benefit, on building
completion, ClearShield will continue to protect
the glass.
Exterior glass in high-rise buildings like the
Shanghai WFC is under constant attack from
moisture and alkalinity – the two main causes of
glass corrosion. Ritec's ClearShield system is
water repellent and highly resistant to
alkalinity from building run-off and hard tap
water. It also proves protection against organic
contaminants, such as traffic film, fingerprints,
bird droppings and tree sap, and inorganic
substances, including metal oxides, mineral
salts/limescale, moisture and silicone sealant
run-off. In addition, it prevents glass from
being stained and discoloured by lead oxides
from, for example, roof flashing and from iron
oxides from railway lines.
Proven during the past 25 years, ClearShield can
be applied to glass either in the factory or
onsite. Ritec's proven polymer formulation bonds
chemically to the glass, leaving a transparent,
non-stick surface. The result is Low-Mâ
(Low-Maintenance) Glass that retains
its original clarity and is easy to clean
without the need for harsh chemicals.
A
mixed-use development by Minoru Mori of Japan,
the Shanghai WFC will include offices, a six-star
hotel, conference facilities, museum and a
variety of leisure and retail units. The
architects, Kohn Pedersen Fox, have designed the
building in the form or a square prism, used in
ancient Chinese culture to represent the earth.
In addition to its striking glass façade, one of
the skyscraper's most distinctive features is a
large hole through its upper levels. |
