Glass Houses
Glass Palace!
One hundred years ago, it really seemed something fabulous, impossible in real
life. To many, it still seems a little strange even now when they talk about
houses made of glass, but meanwhile, the construction of such houses at the
modern level of glassmaking is quite real.
We are urban
dwellers and used to stone, brick houses. But a glass house is no worse than a
stone one - perhaps even better. What should the house be?
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| Modern Glass House |
It must be,
first of all, very durable. Can glass compete with bricks in this regard? At
first glance, it seems that no, but it should be remembered that the strength
is different. The material may not withstand even a slight blow and at the same
time may withstand tremendous pressure. For building material, it is precisely
this strength that is important: compressive strength. And now, in this
respect, glass surpasses stone.
A granite cube of
1 cm³ will be crushed with a weight of 2,000 kilograms, a cast-iron cube will
crack under a weight of 7,000 kilograms, and a glass one will withstand 12,000
kilograms or more. It turns out that a glass house will be even stronger than a
stone one.
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| Glass Houses Become Fashionable in Japan |
The house should
be warm. Glass, as we know, conducts heat very poorly; several times worse than
brick. This means that the glass house will be really warm.
The glass house
is not afraid of fire. The glass house does not need to be painted or covered
with stucco - it is already beautiful. Its walls are always clean: they can be
washed by pouring a stream of water from a hose. Glass can be used to make
internal partitions in apartments. Glass walls and floors in kitchens and
bathrooms will be especially good. You
can make bathtubs and washbasins, stoves on tables and sideboards from glass.
Excellent durable glass doors can also be made of special glass.
Such wholly
glass houses have not yet been made, but now glass as a building material is
quickly gaining a place in the sun.