End of life considerations of silicone bonded glazing
摘要
Silicone bonded glazing is recognized as a durable, energy and material efficient façade system. However, uncertainty exists as how to refurbish, reuse and/or extend the lifetime of this type of façades, once they have exceeded their warranty period, or when there is a will to change the façade’s performance or aesthetics. This paper presents the outcome of joined research performed by Scheldebouw and Dow, to assess the feasibility to disassemble and reuse elements of bonded façade systems at end-of-life in an efficient and economically viable way. The recent refurbishment of the Citi tower in London was used as a case study. Scheldebouw evaluated tools to dismantle the bonded elements in factory. The ease of disassembly for bonded and mechanically fixed systems was compared. Dow reviewed existing testing methods to evaluate the quality (adhesion and mechanical performance) of the original bonding silicone and applied these methods to Citi. Finally, rebonding procedures to enable reuse of frame and/or glazing are discussed.