Week of snow days, no school lunches leave mid-Atlantic students, families struggling to eat: As back-to-back snowstorms shuttered schools for the week across the mid-Atlantic states, parents fretted about lost learning time, administrators scheduled makeup days and teachers posted assignments online. But Marla Caplon worried about a more fundamental problem: How would students eat?
The two snowstorms that pummeled the region, leaving more than 3 feet of snow in some areas, deprived tens of thousands of children from Virginia to Pennsylvania of the free or reduced-price school lunch that may be their only nutritious meal of the day. The nonprofits that try to meet the need when school is not in session also closed their doors for much of the week, leaving many families looking at bare cupboards. And many parents working hourly jobs were unable to earn any money during the week, as the snow forced businesses to close.
Otto Tambito, a Fairfax County father of two, said his family burned through much of its savings during the week off from school and work. Tambito works as a window cleaner and an electrician, but was unable to travel to jobs. His wife, who cleans houses for a living, was in the same boat. "We hope that thing melts down and we start again," he said.
Where there's muck there's brass...Six months ago, Washington lad Tony Earnshaw left TV's Dragon's Den with £100,000 in his pocket and the backing of Duncan Bannatyne. Now he's heading for national business success. "The only way you'll drive a car that nice is if you pinch it."
It was a throwaway remark, but it propelled Tony Earnshaw to take action and prove the speaker wrong. Very wrong. Tony, who grew up on the Glebe Estate, explained: "I was talking to someone outside once and a lovely red Ferrari went past. "I said I'd love to have one and the person I was talking to said the only way I'd have a car like that would be to pinch it. I took it as an insult and decided to prove them wrong." Today, Tony is the owner of UK Commercial Cleaning (UKCC), one of the country's leading suppliers of industrial and commercial cleaning services.
And in case you're wondering – he drives a very nice Range Rover. A turbulent childhood has not held him back, quite the opposite. Tony said: "I didn't have the best of upbringings because my mother was ill with mental health problems from a young age. "I had to be put into care for a few years and I never met my father. "My mum is doing well now and training to become a chef.
"It disrupted my life quite a lot and I found it hard to settle into full-time education." But despite this, Tony realised he wanted more from his life. "When I was 14 I realised it was time to stand on my own two feet and grow up. "I got back into mainstream school, went to Biddick Comprehensive and achieved good results, which was part of my plan of action to the long road to success. "What happened made me the person I am today."
The 25-year-old's entrepreneurial spirit started at a young age. When he was 10 he used to walk around the estate washing people's cars for 25p a go. And way before eBay he used to flog his old books and videos by setting up a stall in the street. But after the Ferrari comment he started scanning the Ad Trader looking for a business which would earn him the money for a car. In the end he sprung for a £300 cleaning business. Within six months he transformed the window-cleaning round, boosting its earnings to £6,000 per month by working 90 hours a week. Tony said: "That's when I decided I wanted to be the biggest cleaning company in the UK. "I worked 90 hours a week for that six months to make the business a success. "Eventually I sold it to a local guy who's doing very well with it. I wanted to move onto bigger and better things." The next step was an appearance on BBC2's Dragon's Den. Tony applied to go on the show in 2007 but heard nothing back. A year later his childhood friend Stephen Pearson joined the business and applied again. "We got a phone call from the BBC one cold morning in February where we had to pass a one hour phone interview," he said. After a trial run in Manchester the pair passed with flying colours and entered the den in April. Until the show was aired in August, they had to keep a tight lid on their success.
Tony and sales manager Stephen had pitched their business to the Dragons, asking for £100,000 in return for a 20 per cent stake in UK Commercial Cleaning.After a long negotiation, Duncan Bannatyne's investment bought him a 35 per cent stake in the business and he was made a company director. "I was dead confident, I wasn't scared at all," says Tony. "Me and Stephen were bored waiting in the green room. We wanted to get in there and make a deal. "I wasn't going to embarrass myself on national television – I decided I wouldn't leave until they invested in the company." There are some striking similarities between the two Tony and the dragon who put his money where his mouth was. Duncan Bannatyne's business career had humble beginnings, too – it began in Stockton-on-Tees after he bought an ice cream van for £450 which he turned into a fleet and eventually sold for £28,000. The pair get on well and business is booming – they even appeared on Children in Need last year together, renovating a community centre. "He's a very down-to-earth guy and I can ring him any time for advice. You wouldn't think he was a millionaire, " said Tony.
UKCC now has 30 staff based at its Washington and Leeds depots with services reaching as far as the North Coast of Scotland. The company turned over £370,000 last year – this year, they are aiming to hit £1.5 million. "I couldn't be happier," says Tony. "We're moving forward and Duncan gives very good advice. "That was the reason we went on Dragon's Den. "I could run the business as it was easily but needed that extra support and knowledge to turn it into a national business." Duncan Bannatyne knows Tony wants his firm to be the largest cleaning company in the country and is obviously keen to support ambition like that. "This is a man who started as a window cleaner and has worked his way up," he said. "His story has a lot of similarities to mine and his work ethic deserves reward." Six months on from the Dragon's Den, Tony is well on the way to going national – but he is still a Washington lad at heart. He said: "(To celebrate Duncan's investment] We went out on the drink and to a comedy club in London. "I fell asleep on the tube and ended up in terminal five and Stephen got trapped in the doors of the tube!" Eventually, Tony hopes to open seven depots, with the first London depot opening this year. He said: "Everything changes when you're moving from semi-national to national. "We've got the support of Duncan's head office, in Darlington, which is excellent, and we're focusing on building up our profits to support the change. "We don't plan to run before we can walk!" While the work rolls in, Tony is keen to make a difference back in Washington. The company recently offered 13 weeks of training and work experience to 10 unemployed people by joining up with training programme ESG Senica. Two have now been taken on full time at UKCC.
Tony said: "I am a local lad and it is devastating to think that people from the North East are struggling to find work especially after some have been employed for most of their lives."By offering this training, we hope to show people that their skills can be transferable across a number of business sectors, and that it is not difficult to take the bold step of applying for jobs in a completely different industry." This Washington lad has come a long way, but he's not ready to rest on his laurels yet. "Even if we went bust, which would never happen, I'd find something different to do," he says. "Every morning when I wake up I'm excited, I'm ready to go. I have a lot of energy – I think it annoys some people but there you go!"
The film Gehry's vertigo offers to the spectator a rare & vertiginous trip on the roof tops of the Guggenheims Museum of Bilbao. Through the portrait of the climbing team in charge of the glass cleaning, their ascensions, their techniques & their difficulties, this film observes the complexity & virtuosity of Frank Gehry's architecture.
I'll fight all way to court over parking ticket: Driver claims £60 fine is wrong - A window cleaner has vowed to fight a parking fine he says was unfairly slapped on him after taking his family to and from Halifax. Self-employed Denis Goodwin, 56, says he dropped partner Karen and their two children off at the Pennine Centre car park in Horton Street, Halifax, before driving to a job at The Works, Sowerby Bridge, on December 23. He later drove back to collect them at the same car park – which he says is their usual meeting point – and was shocked to get a letter two weeks later that said he had been caught on camera – and he owed £60 for a 94-minute stay. It showed photos of his car entering the car park at 1.44pm, and leaving at 3.18pm, and said he had not paid.
Mr Goodwin, of Industrial Road, Sowerby Bridge, said: "It is selective photography. I was there for about two minutes in total. There's absolutely no record at all of the car being parked in a bay and that car park is absolutely riddled with cameras." A spokeswoman for Excel Parking Services Ltd, which maintains the site, said the notice had been issued correctly. "Mr Goodwin's vehicle was only seen by our cameras entering and exiting the car park once that day. "Excel Parking Services Limited ensures that all cameras are checked on a regular basis to assure correctness," she said. But Sara-Jo Cooper, owner of The Works, said she had an invoice for work done at her pub which will vouch for Mr Goodwin's account. "He's a straightforward man – he's not dishonest and he's not a chancer," she said. Mr Goodwin, who is now launching a written appeal, said: "I have never had a parking ticket in my life. If I had done it I would pay up – it is the principle. I will fight this all the way to court."
Lead rules may impact window replacement costs: New lead paint regulations mean it may cost more to replace those old windows. The new regulations take effect April 22. The regulations require workers who remove windows from buildings older than 1978 to be certified and they must have special gear to protect themselves and anyone else in the building against lead paint and dust. The measure, which will be stricter than the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards, aims to protect those living and working in older homes and businesses. Contractors say reducing exposure to lead is a responsible move, though it may mean bigger bills for consumers. “It costs a business like us thousands of dollars (to comply with the new rules),” said Ken Oberdorf, owner of Wrightway, N6688 Wrightway Drive. Oberdorf said expenses include employee training, special equipment, lead-safe practice areas, lead barriers for the home and warning signs. The requirements could drive up the price for window buyers by 5 to 10 percent.
A Cumbrian window cleaner who was jailed for glassing another man in a drunken bar attack failed to get his sentence cut at court yesterday. Mark Andrew Broatch, 25, of Fieldside, Heads Nook, near Carlisle, was sent to prison for 15 months at Carlisle Crown Court in December after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Broatch admitted smashing a glass into the face of 42-year-old plumber, Ian Little, during a row at the Nag’s Head pub, in nearby Brampton, during May’s Champions League Final between Manchester United and Barcelona. He ran his own window cleaning business and employed other young men who might not otherwise have found jobs, a pre-sentence report had said. And he had also shown true remorse, said he had been “ashamed” and “disgusted” at what he did and described his motivation as “utter stupidity”. But, after considering the arguments, Mr Justice Openshaw said the seriousness of the offence justified such a long prison sentence.
Front line services in Hampshire may be hit in future, warns authority: Front line police services could be slashed next year as the force faces a cash crisis. Up to £6m of cuts and savings has been drawn up by Hampshire Police Authority to protect services over the coming year. But number crunchers predict a Government spending squeeze and staff pay increases above 2.5 per cent will threaten future services. The forensics budget will be cut alongside with spending on conferences, books and magazines, window cleaning, stationery and energy bills.
Bright, clean rooms promote good behaviour: The smell of citrus promotes generosity, while dim rooms increase dishonesty and selfish behaviour, psychology researchers suggest in recent studies. Chen-Bo Zhong, a psychologist at the University of Toronto, and his colleagues in the U.S. have conducted a series of small experiments designed to test how changes in an environment — differences in lighting or smell — can affect human behaviour.
Magnetron coating deposition: The invention of glass coatings has altered the influence of glass as it used in architecture. Today?s coatings can be practically custom-made to fit into any environmental conditions and offer a specific look and performance. The applications of coating technology are endless, so it comes as no surprise that coated-glass production and research increase every year.
There are two major processes used to produce coated glass: on-line and off-line. As its name suggests, the on-line process consists of applying the coating during production while the off-line process indicates that the coating is applied when the glass has already cooled down.
The method used to produce thin films and coatings in the off-line process is referred to as magnetron sputtering, which indicates the spraying on of a coating to a glass surface. Magnetron sputtering was introduced in the seventies and increased the effectiveness of glass produced in the off-line process. When performed off the float-line, the glass passes through a series of vacuum chambers where metal oxide coatings are deposited onto the glass surface.
The process works by passing an electrical current through ionised gas, thus bombarding the surface of a metal cathode with ions. The atoms of the desired metal are vaporised and then deposited in a thin film on the surface of glass. Magnetron sputtering is an environment-friendly technology, as it does not produce any waste or ecological damage.
This type of coated glass is often referred to as 'soft-coated', because the coating is more susceptible to damage than with hard-coated glass. Due to its fragility, this soft-coated glass has some special handling and processing requirements. For example, glass produced by magnetron sputtering deposition is used mostly in double-glazed units, must be heat-threaded prior to coating deposition, and edge removal of the coating is required to allow a proper seal.
The major advantages are a highly-visible transmission of light, good thermal performance, and no color haze. Today magnetron-sputtering deposition is the most important vacuum process used in the glass sector.
HW Glass Ltd Is A Revolutionary Player In The Fabrication Of Tempered Glass: This is solely due to the innovative and diversified array of glass solutions including fire resistant glasses. Stronger than toughened glasses, these light weighted glasses bear outstanding light transmitting power. HW Glass Ltd. is a BS EN and ISO 9001:2000 certified company, engrossed in the fabrication of various kinds of glasses. Incepted in 1972, it has undertaken streamlined production process, state-of-the-art manufacturing unit, strict quality paradigm and thorough research strategies in manufacturing glasses. Fire resistant glasses help in attaining fire resistance of varying degrees. Widely used in buildings that are more prone to catch fire, these get shattered into small fragments when broken without leaving pointed edges that may cause injury. Appropriate surveillance is undertaken prior to the installation of such glassesTempered glass is also known as toughened glass. These bear high strength owing to the series of chemical and thermal process undertaken in the treatment and fabrication. Titanium dioxide coating on its outer surface allows two mechanisms namely photo-catalytic effect and hydrophilic effect that leads to its self-cleaning properties. Moreover, durability, easy cleaning & maintenance, eco friendly features makes it ideal.
Glass federation to lobby for standardised codes: The Glass and Glazing Federation (Gulf) is aiming to target a 25-strong membership to form a body and lobby the UAE Government for standardisation of glass codes, according to its chief executive. "One of the issues here is that manufacturers and processors work to very high technical standards but they are all different - American, Japanese, British or European. The idea of the federation is to bring the industry together and give them a single set of standards that everyone works to - so that it becomes easier for architects and specifiers to understand how they were comparing companies and it is a way of promoting those companies that promote themselves as high quality as opposed to those outside the grouping," said Nigel Rees, Chief Executive and National Secretary, Glass and Glazing Federation.
The aim is to find a single voice. "We can be a single voice in the Middle East. In the UK, if a single company tries to go and speak to the government, it will not be heard. But when we go as federation and say that we speak for the industry, it will be heard," he told Emirates Business in an exclusive interview. The Gulf chapter of the federation was set up two and a half years ago. It has 12 members [companies] from the industry in the GCC. "There is also some interest in Egypt and Syria. The aim is a single standard that the glass industry can work with in the region and hence there is no boundary to the membership in the region. We had a workshop yesterday and got around 15 participants," said Rees, who was speaking on the sidelines of the Facade Design and Engineering 2010.
"The industry is very open to the idea and we have still not met a company that has refused to hear us. We are hoping to reach 20-25 companies to be a strong and sound base, which would take us another 18 months to two years. We have sat down with the Abu Dhabi Standardisation Authority and had a positive response. The next move is to look at meetings in Dubai but more towards the regulation side, namely Dubai Municipality. We have used the knowledge of our members within the region and can assist in the overall technical work and the standardisation but it will be an open debate as to what will really be needed in this part of the world."
Meanwhile, Richard Gulliver, Chairman, Technical Committee, Glass and Glazing Federation, Gulf, said that clients need to look at using high performance glass. Cutting down construction costs in the initial run does not help in a good return on investments in the long run. "Since the start of the downturn, we found that clients don't want to spend as much as they wanted to on the cost of the building and glass is the area that they reduce costs," said Gulliver. "They want something that will save them costs in the initial run but will cost a lot of money in the long run. These studies show that a building with a 10,000 sqm façade and using high performance glass will save around Dh24 million over 20 years based on today's energy prices."
The two snowstorms that pummeled the region, leaving more than 3 feet of snow in some areas, deprived tens of thousands of children from Virginia to Pennsylvania of the free or reduced-price school lunch that may be their only nutritious meal of the day. The nonprofits that try to meet the need when school is not in session also closed their doors for much of the week, leaving many families looking at bare cupboards. And many parents working hourly jobs were unable to earn any money during the week, as the snow forced businesses to close.
Otto Tambito, a Fairfax County father of two, said his family burned through much of its savings during the week off from school and work. Tambito works as a window cleaner and an electrician, but was unable to travel to jobs. His wife, who cleans houses for a living, was in the same boat. "We hope that thing melts down and we start again," he said.
Where there's muck there's brass...Six months ago, Washington lad Tony Earnshaw left TV's Dragon's Den with £100,000 in his pocket and the backing of Duncan Bannatyne. Now he's heading for national business success. "The only way you'll drive a car that nice is if you pinch it."It was a throwaway remark, but it propelled Tony Earnshaw to take action and prove the speaker wrong. Very wrong. Tony, who grew up on the Glebe Estate, explained: "I was talking to someone outside once and a lovely red Ferrari went past. "I said I'd love to have one and the person I was talking to said the only way I'd have a car like that would be to pinch it. I took it as an insult and decided to prove them wrong." Today, Tony is the owner of UK Commercial Cleaning (UKCC), one of the country's leading suppliers of industrial and commercial cleaning services.
And in case you're wondering – he drives a very nice Range Rover. A turbulent childhood has not held him back, quite the opposite. Tony said: "I didn't have the best of upbringings because my mother was ill with mental health problems from a young age. "I had to be put into care for a few years and I never met my father. "My mum is doing well now and training to become a chef.
"It disrupted my life quite a lot and I found it hard to settle into full-time education." But despite this, Tony realised he wanted more from his life. "When I was 14 I realised it was time to stand on my own two feet and grow up. "I got back into mainstream school, went to Biddick Comprehensive and achieved good results, which was part of my plan of action to the long road to success. "What happened made me the person I am today."
The 25-year-old's entrepreneurial spirit started at a young age. When he was 10 he used to walk around the estate washing people's cars for 25p a go. And way before eBay he used to flog his old books and videos by setting up a stall in the street. But after the Ferrari comment he started scanning the Ad Trader looking for a business which would earn him the money for a car. In the end he sprung for a £300 cleaning business. Within six months he transformed the window-cleaning round, boosting its earnings to £6,000 per month by working 90 hours a week. Tony said: "That's when I decided I wanted to be the biggest cleaning company in the UK. "I worked 90 hours a week for that six months to make the business a success. "Eventually I sold it to a local guy who's doing very well with it. I wanted to move onto bigger and better things." The next step was an appearance on BBC2's Dragon's Den. Tony applied to go on the show in 2007 but heard nothing back. A year later his childhood friend Stephen Pearson joined the business and applied again. "We got a phone call from the BBC one cold morning in February where we had to pass a one hour phone interview," he said. After a trial run in Manchester the pair passed with flying colours and entered the den in April. Until the show was aired in August, they had to keep a tight lid on their success.
Tony and sales manager Stephen had pitched their business to the Dragons, asking for £100,000 in return for a 20 per cent stake in UK Commercial Cleaning.After a long negotiation, Duncan Bannatyne's investment bought him a 35 per cent stake in the business and he was made a company director. "I was dead confident, I wasn't scared at all," says Tony. "Me and Stephen were bored waiting in the green room. We wanted to get in there and make a deal. "I wasn't going to embarrass myself on national television – I decided I wouldn't leave until they invested in the company." There are some striking similarities between the two Tony and the dragon who put his money where his mouth was. Duncan Bannatyne's business career had humble beginnings, too – it began in Stockton-on-Tees after he bought an ice cream van for £450 which he turned into a fleet and eventually sold for £28,000. The pair get on well and business is booming – they even appeared on Children in Need last year together, renovating a community centre. "He's a very down-to-earth guy and I can ring him any time for advice. You wouldn't think he was a millionaire, " said Tony.
UKCC now has 30 staff based at its Washington and Leeds depots with services reaching as far as the North Coast of Scotland. The company turned over £370,000 last year – this year, they are aiming to hit £1.5 million. "I couldn't be happier," says Tony. "We're moving forward and Duncan gives very good advice. "That was the reason we went on Dragon's Den. "I could run the business as it was easily but needed that extra support and knowledge to turn it into a national business." Duncan Bannatyne knows Tony wants his firm to be the largest cleaning company in the country and is obviously keen to support ambition like that. "This is a man who started as a window cleaner and has worked his way up," he said. "His story has a lot of similarities to mine and his work ethic deserves reward." Six months on from the Dragon's Den, Tony is well on the way to going national – but he is still a Washington lad at heart. He said: "(To celebrate Duncan's investment] We went out on the drink and to a comedy club in London. "I fell asleep on the tube and ended up in terminal five and Stephen got trapped in the doors of the tube!" Eventually, Tony hopes to open seven depots, with the first London depot opening this year. He said: "Everything changes when you're moving from semi-national to national. "We've got the support of Duncan's head office, in Darlington, which is excellent, and we're focusing on building up our profits to support the change. "We don't plan to run before we can walk!" While the work rolls in, Tony is keen to make a difference back in Washington. The company recently offered 13 weeks of training and work experience to 10 unemployed people by joining up with training programme ESG Senica. Two have now been taken on full time at UKCC.
Tony said: "I am a local lad and it is devastating to think that people from the North East are struggling to find work especially after some have been employed for most of their lives."By offering this training, we hope to show people that their skills can be transferable across a number of business sectors, and that it is not difficult to take the bold step of applying for jobs in a completely different industry." This Washington lad has come a long way, but he's not ready to rest on his laurels yet. "Even if we went bust, which would never happen, I'd find something different to do," he says. "Every morning when I wake up I'm excited, I'm ready to go. I have a lot of energy – I think it annoys some people but there you go!"
The film Gehry's vertigo offers to the spectator a rare & vertiginous trip on the roof tops of the Guggenheims Museum of Bilbao. Through the portrait of the climbing team in charge of the glass cleaning, their ascensions, their techniques & their difficulties, this film observes the complexity & virtuosity of Frank Gehry's architecture.I'll fight all way to court over parking ticket: Driver claims £60 fine is wrong - A window cleaner has vowed to fight a parking fine he says was unfairly slapped on him after taking his family to and from Halifax. Self-employed Denis Goodwin, 56, says he dropped partner Karen and their two children off at the Pennine Centre car park in Horton Street, Halifax, before driving to a job at The Works, Sowerby Bridge, on December 23. He later drove back to collect them at the same car park – which he says is their usual meeting point – and was shocked to get a letter two weeks later that said he had been caught on camera – and he owed £60 for a 94-minute stay. It showed photos of his car entering the car park at 1.44pm, and leaving at 3.18pm, and said he had not paid.Mr Goodwin, of Industrial Road, Sowerby Bridge, said: "It is selective photography. I was there for about two minutes in total. There's absolutely no record at all of the car being parked in a bay and that car park is absolutely riddled with cameras." A spokeswoman for Excel Parking Services Ltd, which maintains the site, said the notice had been issued correctly. "Mr Goodwin's vehicle was only seen by our cameras entering and exiting the car park once that day. "Excel Parking Services Limited ensures that all cameras are checked on a regular basis to assure correctness," she said. But Sara-Jo Cooper, owner of The Works, said she had an invoice for work done at her pub which will vouch for Mr Goodwin's account. "He's a straightforward man – he's not dishonest and he's not a chancer," she said. Mr Goodwin, who is now launching a written appeal, said: "I have never had a parking ticket in my life. If I had done it I would pay up – it is the principle. I will fight this all the way to court."
Lead rules may impact window replacement costs: New lead paint regulations mean it may cost more to replace those old windows. The new regulations take effect April 22. The regulations require workers who remove windows from buildings older than 1978 to be certified and they must have special gear to protect themselves and anyone else in the building against lead paint and dust. The measure, which will be stricter than the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards, aims to protect those living and working in older homes and businesses. Contractors say reducing exposure to lead is a responsible move, though it may mean bigger bills for consumers. “It costs a business like us thousands of dollars (to comply with the new rules),” said Ken Oberdorf, owner of Wrightway, N6688 Wrightway Drive. Oberdorf said expenses include employee training, special equipment, lead-safe practice areas, lead barriers for the home and warning signs. The requirements could drive up the price for window buyers by 5 to 10 percent.A Cumbrian window cleaner who was jailed for glassing another man in a drunken bar attack failed to get his sentence cut at court yesterday. Mark Andrew Broatch, 25, of Fieldside, Heads Nook, near Carlisle, was sent to prison for 15 months at Carlisle Crown Court in December after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Broatch admitted smashing a glass into the face of 42-year-old plumber, Ian Little, during a row at the Nag’s Head pub, in nearby Brampton, during May’s Champions League Final between Manchester United and Barcelona. He ran his own window cleaning business and employed other young men who might not otherwise have found jobs, a pre-sentence report had said. And he had also shown true remorse, said he had been “ashamed” and “disgusted” at what he did and described his motivation as “utter stupidity”. But, after considering the arguments, Mr Justice Openshaw said the seriousness of the offence justified such a long prison sentence.Front line services in Hampshire may be hit in future, warns authority: Front line police services could be slashed next year as the force faces a cash crisis. Up to £6m of cuts and savings has been drawn up by Hampshire Police Authority to protect services over the coming year. But number crunchers predict a Government spending squeeze and staff pay increases above 2.5 per cent will threaten future services. The forensics budget will be cut alongside with spending on conferences, books and magazines, window cleaning, stationery and energy bills.Bright, clean rooms promote good behaviour: The smell of citrus promotes generosity, while dim rooms increase dishonesty and selfish behaviour, psychology researchers suggest in recent studies. Chen-Bo Zhong, a psychologist at the University of Toronto, and his colleagues in the U.S. have conducted a series of small experiments designed to test how changes in an environment — differences in lighting or smell — can affect human behaviour.Magnetron coating deposition: The invention of glass coatings has altered the influence of glass as it used in architecture. Today?s coatings can be practically custom-made to fit into any environmental conditions and offer a specific look and performance. The applications of coating technology are endless, so it comes as no surprise that coated-glass production and research increase every year.There are two major processes used to produce coated glass: on-line and off-line. As its name suggests, the on-line process consists of applying the coating during production while the off-line process indicates that the coating is applied when the glass has already cooled down.
The method used to produce thin films and coatings in the off-line process is referred to as magnetron sputtering, which indicates the spraying on of a coating to a glass surface. Magnetron sputtering was introduced in the seventies and increased the effectiveness of glass produced in the off-line process. When performed off the float-line, the glass passes through a series of vacuum chambers where metal oxide coatings are deposited onto the glass surface.
The process works by passing an electrical current through ionised gas, thus bombarding the surface of a metal cathode with ions. The atoms of the desired metal are vaporised and then deposited in a thin film on the surface of glass. Magnetron sputtering is an environment-friendly technology, as it does not produce any waste or ecological damage.
This type of coated glass is often referred to as 'soft-coated', because the coating is more susceptible to damage than with hard-coated glass. Due to its fragility, this soft-coated glass has some special handling and processing requirements. For example, glass produced by magnetron sputtering deposition is used mostly in double-glazed units, must be heat-threaded prior to coating deposition, and edge removal of the coating is required to allow a proper seal.
The major advantages are a highly-visible transmission of light, good thermal performance, and no color haze. Today magnetron-sputtering deposition is the most important vacuum process used in the glass sector.
HW Glass Ltd Is A Revolutionary Player In The Fabrication Of Tempered Glass: This is solely due to the innovative and diversified array of glass solutions including fire resistant glasses. Stronger than toughened glasses, these light weighted glasses bear outstanding light transmitting power. HW Glass Ltd. is a BS EN and ISO 9001:2000 certified company, engrossed in the fabrication of various kinds of glasses. Incepted in 1972, it has undertaken streamlined production process, state-of-the-art manufacturing unit, strict quality paradigm and thorough research strategies in manufacturing glasses. Fire resistant glasses help in attaining fire resistance of varying degrees. Widely used in buildings that are more prone to catch fire, these get shattered into small fragments when broken without leaving pointed edges that may cause injury. Appropriate surveillance is undertaken prior to the installation of such glassesTempered glass is also known as toughened glass. These bear high strength owing to the series of chemical and thermal process undertaken in the treatment and fabrication. Titanium dioxide coating on its outer surface allows two mechanisms namely photo-catalytic effect and hydrophilic effect that leads to its self-cleaning properties. Moreover, durability, easy cleaning & maintenance, eco friendly features makes it ideal.Glass federation to lobby for standardised codes: The Glass and Glazing Federation (Gulf) is aiming to target a 25-strong membership to form a body and lobby the UAE Government for standardisation of glass codes, according to its chief executive. "One of the issues here is that manufacturers and processors work to very high technical standards but they are all different - American, Japanese, British or European. The idea of the federation is to bring the industry together and give them a single set of standards that everyone works to - so that it becomes easier for architects and specifiers to understand how they were comparing companies and it is a way of promoting those companies that promote themselves as high quality as opposed to those outside the grouping," said Nigel Rees, Chief Executive and National Secretary, Glass and Glazing Federation.The aim is to find a single voice. "We can be a single voice in the Middle East. In the UK, if a single company tries to go and speak to the government, it will not be heard. But when we go as federation and say that we speak for the industry, it will be heard," he told Emirates Business in an exclusive interview. The Gulf chapter of the federation was set up two and a half years ago. It has 12 members [companies] from the industry in the GCC. "There is also some interest in Egypt and Syria. The aim is a single standard that the glass industry can work with in the region and hence there is no boundary to the membership in the region. We had a workshop yesterday and got around 15 participants," said Rees, who was speaking on the sidelines of the Facade Design and Engineering 2010.
"The industry is very open to the idea and we have still not met a company that has refused to hear us. We are hoping to reach 20-25 companies to be a strong and sound base, which would take us another 18 months to two years. We have sat down with the Abu Dhabi Standardisation Authority and had a positive response. The next move is to look at meetings in Dubai but more towards the regulation side, namely Dubai Municipality. We have used the knowledge of our members within the region and can assist in the overall technical work and the standardisation but it will be an open debate as to what will really be needed in this part of the world."
Meanwhile, Richard Gulliver, Chairman, Technical Committee, Glass and Glazing Federation, Gulf, said that clients need to look at using high performance glass. Cutting down construction costs in the initial run does not help in a good return on investments in the long run. "Since the start of the downturn, we found that clients don't want to spend as much as they wanted to on the cost of the building and glass is the area that they reduce costs," said Gulliver. "They want something that will save them costs in the initial run but will cost a lot of money in the long run. These studies show that a building with a 10,000 sqm façade and using high performance glass will save around Dh24 million over 20 years based on today's energy prices."
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