Waterline: Structural Glazing for Texas' Tallest Tower

Waterline is a 74-story mixed-use supertall tower in Austin, Texas. Rising 1,025 feet (312 meters), it is the tallest building in Texas and one of the newest defining features of Austin's evolving skyline.

Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by Lincoln Property Company and Kairoi Residential, the 1.25-million-square-foot development brings together 352 luxury residences, a 251-room hotel, 700,000 square feet of office space, and 24,000 square feet of retail and dining.

Located along Austin's waterfront, Waterline connects to Waterloo Greenway, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, the Rainey Street District, downtown destinations, and the city's public transit network.

Supporting a building of this scale requires a façade system designed to accommodate demanding structural and environmental conditions. UltraGlaze™ SSG4600 Structural Glazing Sealant was selected for the tower's expansive glass façade to help provide the strength, flexibility, and long-term weather resistance required for a high-performance building envelope.

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What Does a Supertall Building Require From Its Façade?

As buildings reach greater heights, their façades must accommodate more than architectural demands. Wind loads, thermal movement, UV exposure, precipitation, and temperature fluctuations can all place demands on curtain wall and structural glazing systems.

At more than 1,000 feet tall, Waterline's curtain wall required a structural glazing solution capable of helping secure the glass while accommodating ongoing building movement.

UltraGlaze SSG4600 Structural Glazing Sealant provides 30 psi tensile design strength, high tear resistance, and durable elasticity. These properties help support the glass and aluminum façade while maintaining Waterline's clean, streamlined appearance.

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Designed for Austin's Climate

Austin's climate presents year-round challenges for building envelopes. Intense UV exposure, prolonged summer heat, wind-driven rain, and seasonal temperature fluctuations can all affect façade materials over time.

For a high-rise glass façade, the ability to accommodate thermal movement is particularly important. Components can expand and contract as temperatures change, making flexibility an important consideration for long-term structural glazing performance.

UltraGlaze SSG4600 sealant is designed to resist UV radiation and weather exposure while maintaining flexibility over time. This helps the glazing system accommodate movement as façade components expand, contract, and shift under changing environmental conditions.

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Supporting Efficient Curtain Wall Installation

Performance requirements extend beyond the completed façade. For large curtain wall systems, the efficiency and practicality of installation can also influence project delivery.

Win-Con, the glazing contractor responsible for Waterline's curtain wall installation, used a structural glazing sealant designed to support efficient application. Primerless adhesion, rapid strength build-up, and a flexible working time helped support installation across the tower's extensive façade system.

The result is a structural glazing system designed to combine strength, flexibility, and weather resistance across one of North America's newest supertall towers.

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Why Is Structural Glazing Important for Supertall Buildings?

Structural glazing uses sealants to transfer loads between glass and the supporting façade system, making the sealant an important component of the overall curtain wall assembly.

At significant building heights, structural glazing systems may need to accommodate wind loading, thermal movement, and environmental exposure while maintaining long-term adhesion and flexibility.

For projects such as Waterline, the structural glazing sealant therefore needs to balance design strength with flexibility and weather resistance.

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Key Performance Considerations for High-Rise Structural Glazing

When selecting a structural glazing sealant for a high-rise or supertall façade, project teams may consider:

• Design strength to support structural glazing requirements
• Flexibility to accommodate thermal and building movement
• Tear resistance for demanding façade applications
• UV and weather resistance for long-term exterior exposure
• Adhesion to the specified glazing substrates
• Application characteristics that support efficient fabrication and installation

UltraGlaze SSG4600 Structural Glazing Sealant was selected for Waterline based on the combination of these performance and application requirements.

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Socios del proyecto

Developer:  Lincoln Property Company, Kairoi Residential

Design Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox

Architect of Record: HKS

Glazing Contrator: Win-Con

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Preguntas frecuentes

What is structural glazing?

Structural glazing is a façade construction method in which a structural sealant is used to bond and transfer loads between glass and the supporting frame or façade system. It can help create clean exterior sightlines by minimizing visible mechanical connections.

Why is structural silicone used in high-rise façades?

Structural silicone can provide the combination of strength and flexibility needed to support glass while accommodating movement within the façade. High-rise façades may experience movement from wind, temperature changes, and other environmental conditions.

What challenges does a supertall glass façade face?

Supertall façades can be exposed to significant wind loads, UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, precipitation, and ongoing thermal and structural movement. The façade system must be designed to accommodate these conditions over its service life.

Why is flexibility important in structural glazing?

Glass and façade components can expand and contract as temperatures change. A flexible structural glazing sealant can accommodate this movement while maintaining adhesion and helping support the integrity of the glazing system.

What properties should be considered when selecting a structural glazing sealant?

Project teams may consider tensile design strength, tear resistance, flexibility, adhesion, UV and weather resistance, and application characteristics when evaluating structural glazing sealants.

What structural glazing sealant was used at Waterline?

UltraGlaze SSG4600 Structural Glazing Sealant was selected for the expansive glass façade system at Waterline in Austin, Texas. The sealant provides 30 psi tensile design strength, high tear resistance, and durable elasticity for structural glazing applications.

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Performance results are those of customer reported accounts, and are not to be relied upon as typical or expected under any other circumstances. Performance results will vary depending upon a number of process-related factors. Prospective customers should rely solely upon their own evaluative techniques to determine what processing parameters are attainable and optimal to their specific needs. Further note that Momentive is not endorsed by or affiliated with any ownership authority of Waterline.