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December 15, 1999

China Considers Regulations on Glass Glare

    China will issue regulations to address the problem of glare from large panes of glass used in urban construction, according to the Standardization Department of the State Ministry of Construction.

    The standards, which focus on the reflective properties of glass panes, are expected to be passed by the end of the year, said Wang Chao, an official from the department.

    The standards call for rational city planning. "Sound urban planning will lead to orderly construction," Wang said. According to the standards, some areas of the city, including elevated crosswalks and clover-leaf highways, glass panes will not be allowed to avoid traffic accidents.

    The standards require that glass with low-reflection rates be used.

    Some European and Southeast Asian countries have already adopted such measures.

    Official statistics show that only a few companies in China can now produce this kind of glass, and most other companies rely on imports.

    Another way to reduce glare is to change the way glass is used in construction, such as building non-glass parts between panes of glass.

    "It is not wise to ban the use of glass panes outright, because they do have a lot of advantages. Skyscrapers made with glass panes look good, which attracts investors and business," Wang told China Daily.

    "The use of glass panes in construction has developed extremely fast in recent years as a result of market demand. To date, more types of glass have appeared," Wang said.

    Glare has become a more and more serious problem as more buildings are built with large glass panes. In 1995, China's first glare-related suit was brought to court in Shanghai.

    China does not currently have any legislation on glare.

    In recent years, such suits increased rapidly in the country's major cities, such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

    Last week about 30 residents of a six-story Beijing building filed a complaint to environmental protection departments on glare caused by a nearby pane of glass.

    The residents complained that light reflected from the glass keeps them up at night and cannot even be blocked out by curtains.

source: Chinese Newspaper