True Blue Glass have touched on this subject before.
But we thought it was time to revisit after one of our clients sent through some footage that gives us definitive proof to one of the main questions we get asked in the glass industry.
Can a glass panel “just shatter” without something hitting it?
There have been plenty of home owners and tenants alike that have woken up to a shattered balcony door panel or come home from work to a pool fence spread throughout the back yard.
There a couple of reasons a panel can spontaneously shatter and they can include;
Internal defects and inclusions in the glass – MOST COMMON
- Nickel sulfide inclusions (“stones”) can be present in the glass which can change the structure and cause stresses in the glass.
- The most common cause of these is the use of stainless-steel machinery in the glass making and handling process
Installation damage
- While glass is being moved and installed, it is easy for the glaziers to nick or chip the edges of the glass. Over time as the glass expands stress can develop leading to breakage.
Binding in the frame
- Glass expands and contracts with changes in temperature and deflects due to wind. If no space is provided at the perimeter of the unit, the glass will bind against the frame. Causing stress and breakage
Inadequate glass thickness
- A pane that is too large or thin, having not been properly engineered for wind loads on the site.
If you would like to read more in regards to these reasons then head to our full article on Spontaneous Glass Explosions by clicking here.
