Santiago Chile Underground Parking Glass Canopy Case | Stainless Steel Spider Fittings & Routels | StainlessSteelHardwares
Santiago, the capital of Chile, lies at the foot of the Andes mountains. The city experiences strong sunlight, high UV radiation, a rainy winter season and large temperature differences during the year. In this climate, developers and architects pay special attention to entrance areas and underground spaces. An underground parking entrance glass canopy does not only provide protection from rain and wind, it also allows natural light to enter the parking levels, improving safety and comfort for users.
This case study describes a project in a modern residential community in the Santiago metropolitan area. The client planned a large underground parking entrance and wanted to cover it with a glass canopy. The goal was to protect vehicles and pedestrians, keep enough daylight for the entrance area, and create a clean, modern architectural image. At the same time, all visible components had to be durable and corrosion resistant, because the glass canopy is directly exposed to the local climate.
The design team compared several structural systems and finally chose a combination of a steel support frame, stainless steel spider fittings, glass routels, tempered laminated glass and structural silicone. In this system the glass panels are not held by heavy frames around all four edges. Instead, each glass panel is connected at several points by stainless steel spider fittings and glass routels. These point supports transfer the load from the glass to the steel beams and keep the glass canopy visually light and transparent.
The main structure of the underground parking entrance glass canopy is a welded steel frame. Steel beams are arranged in a regular grid based on the size of the glass panels. At each grid intersection the contractor welds a small steel plate or bracket that will receive the base of a stainless steel spider fitting. The accuracy of these positions is very important, because it influences the alignment of all glass panels.
On top of this frame our stainless steel spider fittings are installed. A spider fitting usually has two, three or four arms, and each arm connects to a glass routel and then to the glass panel. The base of the stainless steel spider fitting is fixed to the steel structure. Its arms extend outward to support the glass. In this project, stainless steel spider fittings made from high quality stainless steel were selected. According to different project needs we can use 304 stainless steel or 316 stainless steel. For some areas in Santiago, Chile, where humidity or pollution is higher, 316 stainless steel can provide better corrosion resistance and longer service life.
The glass routel is the connector between the spider fitting and the glass. One end of the glass routel is fixed to the arm of the spider fitting. The other end passes through a pre-drilled hole in the glass panel, and is tightened with bolts and gaskets. By adjusting the bolts and spacers, the installer can fine tune the position of the glass, control the joint width between panels and make sure the glass surface is flat and even. The cooperation between the stainless steel spider fittings and the glass routels forms a complete point supported glass canopy system.
For safety, the project uses tempered laminated glass. If one layer of glass is damaged by impact, the interlayer can still hold most of the fragments and reduce the risk to pedestrians and vehicles below the underground parking entrance glass canopy. Between the glass panels, the contractor applies structural or weatherproof silicone. This silicone seals the joints, prevents water leakage and helps the glass canopy perform well during the rainy winter season in Santiago.
The construction process at this Santiago, Chile site follows several logical steps. First, the steel structure is erected and aligned. The contractor checks the grid dimensions, elevations and welded plates at each node. Second, the stainless steel spider fittings are installed on the prepared bases. At this stage, the position and orientation of every spider fitting are carefully checked, because they determine the final position of the glass panels.
After that, glass routels are fixed to the spider fittings. Installers adjust them roughly according to the glass shop drawings and the position of the glass holes. Then the glass lifting process begins. Each glass panel is lifted by vacuum lifters, moved into place above the underground parking entrance and connected to the glass routels. During this operation, the team makes repeated checks on glass joint width, surface flatness and routel centering. If any deviation is found, they make small adjustments at the stainless steel spider fittings and glass routels until everything is in the correct position.
When all glass panels are fixed, the construction team applies silicone between the panels along the joints. This step is very important for long term waterproof performance. An underground parking entrance glass canopy must not allow water to leak down into the ramp and parking area, especially during heavy rain. Good detailing of the edge profiles, drip edges and drainage paths, together with proper use of sealant, helps the whole glass canopy system work reliably for many years.
This Santiago Chile glass canopy project shows several key advantages of using stainless steel spider fittings and glass routels. First, the corrosion resistance of stainless steel spider fittings is a strong benefit in the local climate. Under strong sunlight and UV exposure, and with seasonal rain, a good grade of stainless steel keeps its appearance for a long time. The glass canopy fittings do not rust easily and remain bright and clean, which is important for the overall image of the residential development.
Second, the structural behavior of the system is reliable. Point supported glass using stainless steel spider fittings and glass routels has a clear load path. The weight of the glass and additional loads such as wind or snow are transferred through each spider fitting into the steel structure. With proper engineering and correct selection of glass thickness, number of supports and type of glass curtain wall fittings, this system can satisfy local design codes for wind and seismic loads.
Third, the appearance is much cleaner than traditional framed glass roofs. Because the glass is connected mainly at discrete points, there are fewer visible steel members under the glass. Looking up from the underground parking entrance, residents see almost continuous glass with only small stainless steel spider fittings and glass routels breaking the surface. This matches the modern minimalist design language that is popular in many new buildings in Santiago, Chile.
Fourth, installation and later maintenance are more convenient. If a glass panel is damaged in the future by external impact, it is usually possible to replace just that one panel by disconnecting the related glass routels and spider fittings, without having to dismantle a large area of the canopy. This reduces the time and cost for maintenance and makes the system practical for long term operation.
Based on the experience from this project, our company is able to provide more support to contractors and designers in Santiago and other regions of Chile. We supply a full range of stainless steel spider fittings, including different numbers of arms and different mounting types. We also supply matching glass routels with different lengths and shapes, together with other stainless steel glass hardware used in glass facades, balustrades and skylights. For project designers, we can share suggestions on the layout of spider fittings, the size of glass panels and the choice of glass canopy fittings, so that the solution remains safe, economical and visually attractive.
The underground parking entrance glass canopy is only one typical application. Stainless steel spider fittings and glass routels are widely used in many other glass structures. Common examples include entrance glass canopies for hotels, shopping centers and office buildings, glass roofs for walkways and corridors, large skylights in commercial atriums, full height glass facades, glass railings and even viewing platforms. For a fast growing city like Santiago, Chile, where more and more projects use large areas of glass, high quality glass facade hardware and stainless steel glass hardware will play an important role.
To help customers see how these systems work in real life, we have also created a short video showing the installation process of a glass canopy project. In the video, you can see the steel frame of the underground parking entrance, the installation of stainless steel spider fittings and glass routels, the lifting and fixing of the glass panels and the final effect of the completed glass canopy. You can watch this video on YouTube at the following link.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UyBDIxRy0vI
If you are a facade contractor, a steel structure or glass canopy installer, an architect, a developer or a general contractor in Santiago, Chile or in another city, and you are looking for reliable stainless steel spider fittings, glass spiders, glass routels and other glass curtain wall fittings, we welcome you to contact us. You can visit our website and send us basic information about your project, such as the project location, approximate canopy size, glass type and required stainless steel grade and surface finish.
Our website address is:
https://www.stainlesssteelhardwares.com/
After we receive your inquiry, we can recommend suitable stainless steel spider fittings and glass routels for your underground parking entrance glass canopy or other glass canopy projects. We can also provide reference selection tables, technical data for glass facade hardware and quotations adapted to your budget. Our goal is to help you build safe, durable and elegant glass canopies and glass facades that meet the expectations of building owners in Santiago and in many other markets.
