|
NOT ALL SAFETY GLASS IS EQUAL:
code requirements and needs of the project will determine the best type of safety glass to be used.
common types of safety glass:
tempered: if broken, will break into smaller less dangerous pieces. tempering also increases glass strength.
pros: stronger than other types of glass, breaking into small pieces versus large dangerous shards makes tempered glass a very popular means of safety glazing
cons: tempered glass cannot be altered in any way after tempering- if glass is too big or has been fabricated wrong, it cannot be cut- as part of the safety feature of this glass- if it is "broken" (ie. "cut") it will break into hundreds of smaller pieces. glass tempering is done at a tempering plant and is not an item that can be simply "prepaired", as such there is often a longer wait for this type of glass. glass may also become somewhat "distorted" when tempered due to the extream heat the glass exposed to during the process- often tempered glass will have a "wavy" appearance when viewed at certain angles.
common uses for tempered glass: shower doors, outdoor glass tabletops, glass used in doors and rear windshields of automobiles, entry doors.
laminated: two pieces of regular (annealed glass) laminated together with a PVB interlayer.
pros: High safety performance: PVB film is firm, rich of adhesion and cannot be penetrated when impacted. Therefore, even when the laminated glass is broken, the sheet glasses are still able to adhere to PVB films and thus the persons and things around won't be hurt
|