IN THE SPOTLIGHT
I believe users need to be made aware of their Green choices too. If there is a higher demand for sustainable construction in the market, then construction stakeholders will also respond positively.
high-tech coated glass are supplied by companies overseas. Likewise, the local safety glass manufacturers supply the majority of the architectural glass in the market, except custom-made glass or glass that is built in a modular system. In general, Malaysia is able to supply for the local demand. In fact, both the local float glass and safety glass manufacturers also export the material worldwide.
What are the common challenges in supplying glass material? The types of glass demanded for projects are usually similar, but the tones and thickness are often different. Each project has its speciality as it involves different group of designers, architects, developers and main contractors. Common challenges would be meeting various design requirements, which often involves customisation. For example, in the Ministry of Work’s tower project (KKR Tower), the order was to provide over 6,000 pieces of different triangular glasses and none of these was in the same size. Another common challenge would be to supply material in a large quantity. In the development Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2), there were approximately 50,000-square-metre high-performance glasses to be supplied only within a few months. Projects like these would require careful planning and coordination.
What do you hope to see in the construction industry in the coming years? I hope that the Green business will be able to gain a wider market coverage to create a more sustainable built environment. Green awareness needs to be raised so that the industry players will be more thoughtful
Modern green glass elevator Image by XanderSt
in choosing their construction materials. Innovation must continue to progress so that we will able to, for instance, predict the ultimate strength and lifetime of new engineered materials. Specific to glass material, its growing use as a load- bearing material also means that we need comprehensive design standards, technical guidelines and recommendations.
More importantly, to reduce carbon footprint and C&D waste, the reuse and recycle of material must be underscored. Waste glass from construction sites can be powdered for aggregates and cement replacement, and so can other materials such as tiles, concretes and masonry. The only question is whether or not builders, contractors and developers find it feasible. I believe users need to be made aware of their Green choices too. If there is a higher demand for sustainable construction in the market, then construction stakeholders will also respond positively.
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