Case Study:
Dexia Tower
Brussels, Belgium
City:
Country:
Product:
Brussels
Belgium
Dow Corning® 993
Structural Glazing Sealant
Dow Corning® 3362
Insulating Glass Sealant
Dow Corning® 791
Weatherproofing Sealant
Architect:
Samyn and Partners /
M & J-M Jaspers –
J Eyers & Partners /
Kohn Perderson Fox
Curtain Walling Co: Belgo Metal NV
(Permasteelisa Group)
& Groven+ NV
Fabricator:
Polypane Glasindustrie NV
● A new landmark tower in Brussels with a
complex 30,000m2 double skinned façade
which recycles hot air for the HVAC
system
The Project
A new landmark tower in Brussels with
a complex façade design has been made
possible by silicone sealant technology
from Dow Corning. The Dexia Tower,
part of the Rogier International Centre
features a 30,000m2 double skinned
façade which recycles hot air to be
used in the building’s HVAC systems,
elevating the tower’s environmental
credentials and creating a light and
pleasant working environment for the
building’s occupants.
The Vision
The 88-metre tall tower has been
designed by architects Samyn and
Partners / M & J-M Jaspers – J Eyers
& Partners / Kohn Perderson Fox with
two staggered cylindrical segments to
form a distinctive marker at the edge of
the Brussels inner city. The building is
highly visible from many vantage points
in the city and is set to become a focal
point for Brussels. Each of the tower’s
floors can be arranged as single large
office spaces unbroken by columns of
any kind. The floor areas decrease as
the tower rises, topped by a panoramic
glass roof.
Photograph: Marc Detiffe
The Challenge
2.7m high floor to ceiling windows
flood the Dexia Tower’s office space
with natural light. The double-layer
façade consists of fixed, continuous
outer glazing and an inner glazed skin
which allows for maintenance and
adjustment of the equipment between
the two layers, particularly the antiglare blinds situated there.
The Team
Dow Corning’s technical and design
teams worked closely with curtain
walling contractor Belgo Metal NV
from the very outset of the project. They
worked with the design team to review
and approve joint design calculation
to
ensure
correct
performance
specifications, and carried out extensive
adhesion and substrate testing.
The outer, four sided structurally glazed
layer of the façade was constructed by
Belgo Metal NV using Dow Corning
993 for the anodised aluminium frames,
along with insulating glazing units
supplied by Polypane Glasindustrie
NV. These were constructed using
Dow Corning 3362 for the secondary
seal.
● Fixed, continuous outer glazing and
an inner glazed skin which allows for
maintenance and adjustment of the
equipment between the two layers
● IG panels in the tower’s glass roof sealed
with Dow Corning 3362 due to its excellent
resistance to UV exposure
● Dow Corning 993 Structural Glazing
Sealant was chosen for its excellent
adhesion to this anodised aluminium
The Insulating Glazing units in the
tower’s glass roof were assembled
by Groven+ NV and sealed with
Dow Corning 3362 due to its
excellent resistance to UV exposure.
Dow Corning 791 was the weatherseal
between the roof’s glass elements.
The Products
Dow Corning 993 Structural Glazing
Sealant was chosen for its excellent
adhesion to this anodised aluminium.
Dow Corning 993 Structural Glazing
Silicone Sealant is a two-component,
fast cure, neutral curing sealant intended
for structural bonding of glass, metal
and other panel materials and to meet all
European standards. As well as anodised
aluminium, it has excellent adhesion to a
wide range of other substrates including
coated, enamelled and reflective glass,
polyester paint-coated aluminium
and stainless steel. Dow Corning
993 demonstrates significant stability
through a wide temperature range of
- 55° to +150°C.
Dow Corning 3362 is a two component
neutral curing silicone sealant specially
designed for sealing this kind of
high performance Insulating Glass
unit. Dow Corning 791 was selected
thanks to its high movement capability
(+/-  50%). It is ideally suited for
expansion,
connection,
perimeter
and all other types of movement
joints and is compatible with all
Dow Corning structural sealants. It
demonstrates excellent weatherability
being UV stable and maintaining high
performance across a wide temperature
range, making it an extremely versatile
sealant that can be used on a wide
variety of substrates.
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