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Home Tools and Resources Resources Glossary and Terms 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
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.

About Architectural Glass Breakage

Acoustical Information

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
Severe weld splatter
Missile/windborne debris impact
Glass to metal contact
Wind/thermal loading
Inclusion

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
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
breakage occurs when the tensile stresses exceed the glass edge strength.

Certifications and Standards

Color Rendering Index (CRI)

Common Glass Configurations

Condensation Control

Dry Glazing

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)
Improper careafter installation (Care and Handling)

Reducing the Risk of Thermal Breakage

Glass is vulnerable to thermal breakage under several circumstances. One common
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
cool, which can result in stress and thermal breakage.
The other situation occurs when glass is installed before heat is turned on in the
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.

Glazing Guidelines

Heat Gain

Heat-Soaking

Heat-Strengthened Glass

Hurricane Glass

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
the building is occupied.

Insulating Glass

During Construction:

Laminated Glass

Putting the glass frame in direct contact with concrete or other materials that
may increase cooling of the edge

Light-to-Solar Gain

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Excessive coverage of the edge by the frame

Installing glass in an unheated building
Attaching heat-absorbing films after the glass is installed

After the building is occupied:

Curtains, shades or blinds that are placed too close to the glass. Heated or
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.

How can you reduce the risk of breakage?

Go to ourProduct Performance Comparison Tool for a quick guideline on thermal
stress. Or ask your Guardian Architectural Sales Manager for a computer-modeled
estimate of potential thermal stresses when youre selecting glass for your project.
Contact us at 1-866-GuardSG (482-7374).

Low-E Coatings

Moire Patterns

Monolithic Glass

Properties of Glass

Pyrolytic Low-E Glass

Quench Marks

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

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

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