lgn1904

SentryGlas^® for Port of Miami

Architect Bruno Elias Ramos (President of Bruno Elias Architects International) of Miami and glazing contractor Trainor Glass of Palm Beach, Florida worked together to come up with what is believed to be the longest laminated glass passenger bridges of any port in the world.

Port of Miami: security and strength from laminated glass with SentryGlas® interlayer (© U.S. Architecture Magazine)

Completed in 2000, the 400 m long, 4 m tall, linear passageways where passengers now board ships and disembark from them at the Port of Miami incorporate DuPont^™ SentryGlas^® interlayer for added security and strength in the face of hurricane-force winds.

Bruno Elias told LGN: "In recent years, passenger bridges have always been enclosed and opaque. I wanted passengers to be able to experience, as in times long ago, the views of these very tall ships as they boarded them, to see the sea and take in the whole port atmosphere, which is very exciting. Security was another major concern; the glass passageways are used as a 'sterile corridor' for disembarking passengers before they clear customs.

"In view of the hurricane reforms to the Building Code, the Port of Miami is required to provide a building envelope that can withstand 240 km/h winds and pass a very demanding impact and cycling test, conducted by Miami-Dade County. It was therefore essential to use laminated glass with DuPont^™ SentryGlas^® , which contains a shatterproof coating on the interior lite. This provided many security benefits and the strength we needed - for a very reasonable price."

Richard Puig of Trainor Glass commented: "These very long walls of glass had to meet both coastal zone category design pressure and South Florida large missile impact tests for protection in the face of hurricane-force winds. The design pressure was particularly tight in the corner zones – in excess of 6.7 kPa (kilopascals) – whereas the majority of the glazing had to bear 3.35 kPa. SentryGlas^® is the only product I know of that could meet that kind of design pressure and the impact tests at an affordable cost."