his gym façade, part of a luxury condominium, was built using a point-supported system with stainless steel spiders and structurally glazed fins. The glass fins are suspended from a custom steel substructure, and the spider fittings are mechanically bolted to the fins using through-bolted stainless steel connections. Teflon washers were used to protect the glass from direct contact with the bolt threads.
Slotted stainless steel plates were incorporated into the system to allow for thermal expansion relative to the supporting structure. The entire façade system—including the glass fins, spider fittings, and brackets—was fabricated prior to site measurement, as requested by the general contractor.
However, during installation, the supporting steel structure was found to have been installed with an angular misalignment. The challenge was to develop an on-site solution that would safely accommodate this discrepancy and allow for a precise and secure installation of the façade system—without the need to re-fabricate the hardware or the glass elements.