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Home » Tools and Resources » Resources » Glossary and Terms » About Architectural Glass Breakage

About Architectural Glass Breakage

About Architectural Glass Breakage
Common Causes
Glass is potentially very strong; however, in sheet form the strength is reduced by the
Acoustical Information
presence of invisibly small defects, known as Griffith cracks, which cause stress
concentrations allowing cracks to propagate. Strength may be reduced further by larger
visible defects. Annealed Glass

Most glass breakage is caused by one or more of the following conditions:

Care and Handling
Surface or edge damage
Deep scratches or gouges
Certifications and Standards
Severe weld splatter
Missile/windborne debris impact
Glass to metal contact Color Rendering Index (CRI)
Wind/thermal loading
Inclusion
Common Glass Configurations
 
Generally, thermal loads on glass occur as a result of the glass being exposed to
sunlight and/or interior heating. If the glass is heated nonuniformly, temperature Condensation Control
gradients occur within the glass, creating tensile stresses. The amount of tensile stress
is a function of the extent of temperature differences within the glass. Thermal Dry Glazing
breakage occurs when the tensile stresses exceed the glass edge strength.
Strategies to Avoid Architectural Glass Breakage Glass Edge Types

Go to the following sections in this Technical Library that deal with common problems
relating to architectural glass breakage and the best ways to prevent them: Glass Minimum and Maximum

Wind Load
Improper care and handling (Glazing Guidelines) Glazing Guidelines
Improper care after installation (Care and Handling)
  Heat Gain
Reducing the Risk of Thermal Breakage
Glass is vulnerable to thermal breakage under several circumstances. One common Heat-Soaking
example occurs when glass is partly shaded by building overhangs or extensions. In
this situation, heat causes the center of the glass to expand, while the edges remain
Heat-Strengthened Glass
cool, which can result in stress and thermal breakage.
The other situation occurs when glass is installed before heat is turned on in the
Hurricane Glass
building. Here again, edges will remain cool in the frames, while the center of the glass
may be heated by the sun. The resulting temperature difference between center and
edge can cause breakage. Infrared (long-wave) Energy

Generally speaking, the greater the area of the edge, the higher the risk of thermal
breakage. But other factors can also come into play, both during construction and after Insulating Glass
the building is occupied.
        During Construction:  Laminated Glass

Putting the glass frame in direct contact with concrete or other materials that
Light-to-Solar Gain
may increase cooling of the edge

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Excessive coverage of the edge by the frame

Installing glass in an unheated building Low-E Coatings
Attaching heat-absorbing films after the glass is installed
 
Moire Patterns
        After the building is occupied: 
Curtains, shades or blinds that are placed too close to the glass. Heated or Monolithic Glass
cooled air trapped too near the glass can cause thermal stress. Air must have
sufficient space to circulate.
Airflow from heating or cooling vents that is not directed away from the glass. Properties of Glass

 
How can you reduce the risk of breakage? Pyrolytic Low-E Glass

Go to our Product Performance Comparison Tool for a quick guideline on thermal

stress. Or ask your Guardian Architectural Sales Manager for a computer-modeled Quench Marks
estimate of potential thermal stresses when you’re selecting glass for your project.
Contact us at 1-866-GuardSG (482-7374).
Relative Heat Gain (RHG)
 

R-Value

Shading Coefficient

Silicone Structural Glazing

Sloped Glazing

Solar Control Glass

Solar Energy

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

Spacers

Spandrel Glass

Spectrally Selective Glazing

Sputter Low-E Glass

Strain Pattern

Tempered Glass

Thermal Breakage

Tinted Glass

Tinted Glass vs Low-E Glass

Turtle Glass

UV

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UV Transmittance

U-Factor

Visible Light

Wet Glazing
Call Us Today: 1-866-GuardSG (482-7374)      

Wind Load
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