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75 Mechanical and electrical systems Building construction principles Glass can be used as an interesting material in its own right, rather than simply being a practical choice of transparent material for windows. Glass has many uses such as for shelving, work surfaces and splash-backs, doors, screens and wall panels. For any interior application, toughened or tempered glass should be specifi ed. Such glass has been made safer by heat treating. Not only does this make it around fi ve times stronger, it also aff ects the properties of the glass such that when broken it sha ers in small square fragments which are far less likely to injure than long shards. However, once heat treated, the glass cannot be cut or worked, so any drilling or cu ing required for hinges and handles must be done before the heat treatment takes place. Glass Used in large amounts in the construction of the frames of many structures, steel is another material that is being used more for its aesthetic qualities. As always, careful selection of materials is important as there are diff erent types and grades of steel suitable for diff erent purposes. Decoratively, stainless steel is most commonly used for kitchen appliances, but other steels can be used for other purposes. Steel is available as sheets, bars and tubes in various sizes. It can be formed into diff erent shapes by metal fabricators. Architectural metal mesh is a relatively new treatment that has great decorative potential in which steel cable and rods are woven into sheets. Depending upon the weave and the gauge (size) of material used, the mesh may be completely rigid, or it may fl ex parallel to the warp and / or we , allowing it to be wrapped around other objects and surfaces. Other metals used both in construction and for their decorative qualities include aluminium, zinc and copper. Designers should carefully consider the eff ects of oxidation on the visual appearance of these materials, and protect against this as appropriate. Some metals are also relatively so , and wear and tear needs consideration before specifying. Steel and other metals Glass provides many opportunities with apparently contradictory qualities of enclosure and transparency. Because of its nature, it should be respected but certainly not feared by the designer. As long as advice is sought from the supplier and care is taken when detailing its installation, it is possible to use it creatively in many situations, though it is by no means a cheap material for large installations. Materials for construction