Thermal Stress Analysis in Glass

The use of glass in windows and curtain walls in residential as well as in commercial buildings needs to be designed very carefully. In addition to typical engineering practices, which address amongst other factors a structural check of the glass thickness against wind and impact loads et. al., it has always been necessary to also consider the thermal stresses in the glass as well as the temperature distribution in the glass and facade components. This topic is not new as it began to be analyzed with the introduction of the first body-tinted basic glass types. Any analysis that is done today is based on a linear approach and an algorithm that is to some extent simplified. With modern constructions, however, it is necessary to recognize special features and to have a more detailed view of the design of such windows and curtain walls. Glass manufacturers can assist in this matter by helping to analyze the thermal stress as well as the temperature distribution in different designs. It is necessary to evaluate the different boundary conditions, which change from location to location. This paper will initially describe the basic methods for analyzing the thermal stress in the glass, and it will also show the influence of the boundary conditions on the final result. The paper will also show the effect of a detailed 2D FE analysis in specifically analyzing critical curtain-wall locations such as shadow boxes or spandrel areas.