Heat-Treated

Glass
Introduction

Description

Capabilities

Applications

Characteristics

Additional Important
Information

Where glass becomes architecture

Section 7 03
 Heat-Treated Glass
Sybase
Dublin, California
Architect: RMW Architecture
and Interiors

Section 7 03
Where glass becomes architecture

Page 1
 Heat-Treated Glass

H eat-treated glass offers

increased resistance to impact,
wind loads and thermal stress
breakage. Annealed glass is
heated to approximately 1,150F
(621C) and rapidly air-cooled
to become heat-strengthened
or fully tempered.

Heat-Treated Glass Applications

Heat-treated glass is used in a wide

range of applications including:

Patio and Storm Doors

Entrance Doors and Sidelites
Tub and Shower Enclosures
Commercial/Residential
Fixed and Operable Windows
Displays
Partitions
Storefronts
Handrails

Oklahoma City
Museum of Art
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Architect: Allen Brown Architects

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 Heat-Treated Glass
Heat-Treated Glass
Introduction

Heat-treated glass is a general term used in the Glass. Compared to annealed glass (non-
glass fabrication industry to describe glass that has heat-treated glass), both have increased strength
been processed through a tempering oven to to resist higher levels of impact, mechanical load
change its strength and breakage characteristics and thermal stress. Heat-strengthening adds
(i.e., the size and/or shape of the glass pieces after strength to the glass while limiting the change in
breakage). There are two distinct heat-treated its breakage characteristics. Tempered glass is
products, heat-strengthened glass and fully stronger than heat-strengthened glass and
tempered glass, as defined in ASTM C1048 significantly reduces the broken piece sizes to
Standard Specification for Heat-treated Flat meet the safety glazing standards.
GlassKind HS, Kind FT Coated and Uncoated

Description

Glass is heat-treated by heating annealed glass to quenching), which uniformly cools all glass
a temperature of approximately 1,150F (621C), surfaces simultaneously. High airflow rates
then rapidly cooling it. The glass is cooled by a produce tempered glass and much lower airflow
carefully controlled airflow (also known as rates produce heat-strengthened glass.

Heating Cooling

Furnace Air Quench

Approximate
The cooling process places the surfaces of the
0 Stress .20(T) Compression
glass in a state of high compression and the
Glass
central core in a state of compensating tension.
Thickness .60(T) Tension
(T)

0 Stress .20(T)

Approximate

Cross-section of the compression and tension zones in tempered glass.

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 Heat-Treated Glass

Heat-Treated Glass
Description (continued)

Fully Tempered Glass Heat-Strengthened Glass

Fully tempered glass, normally referred to as just Heat-strengthened glass is approximately twice
tempered glass, is approximately four times as strong as annealed glass of similar thickness
stronger than annealed glass of the same thickness and configuration. Heat-strengthened glass
and configuration. When it is broken, tempered generally fractures in a manner similar to
glass fractures into small fragments that reduce annealed glass and tends to remain in the opening
the probability of serious injury as compared to when broken. It is intended for general glazing
annealed glass. Tempered glass meets all safety where additional strength and/or resistance to
glazing standards including the federal safety mechanical and/or thermal stress are desired.
glazing standard, CPSC 16 CFR 1201. Because Heat-strengthened glass is NOT a safety-glazing
tempered glass fractures into many small pieces, product and therefore should not be used where
it tends to vacate the opening, when broken, safety glazing is required.
more than heat-strengthened and annealed
glass does.

Capabilities

Glass Options For optical and thermal performance data on

Most architectural glass products can be heat- IG units, go to the Black Performance Data Tab.
treated. Some patterned glass and decorative glass
with a deep surface pattern may not be heat-treatable. For monolithic glass performance data, log on to
Silk-screened and ceramic spandrel glass are www.oldcastleglass.com and choose GlasSelect .
always either heat-strengthened or tempered as
part of their fabrication process. When spandrel Thickness
glass is incorporated into insulating glass units, Glass thicknesses from 1/8" through 3/4" can be
both lites must be heat-treated. Heat-absorbing tempered. Glass thicknesses from 1/8" through
glasses, such as tints, reflective glasses and some 1/4" are commonly heat-strengthened. And 3/8"
Low-E glass, may require heat treatment to can be heat-strengthened on a limited and project-
reduce the probability of thermal-stress breakage, specific basis.
especially when used as part of an insulating
glass unit. Size
The minimum and maximum heat-treated glass
For a list of available glass products/colors, go to the sizes are restricted by the thickness of the glass
White Glass Options Tab. and production equipment capabilities. Generally,
the minimum size is 5" in width and length, and
For more information on silk-screened, spandrel the maximum width and length are 84" x 144",
glass and insulating glass products, go to their respectively. Specific oversize ovens are able to
respective Green Product Information Tabs. process some glass types up to 100" in width and
200" in length.

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Page 4 Where glass becomes architecture
 Heat-Treated Glass
Heat-Treated Glass
Applications

Heat-strengthened Tempered
Due to its superior glass retention properties, Tempered glass is used when the strength
heat-strengthened glass is the preferred heat- requirements exceed the capabilities of heat-
treated glass product for applications where strengthened glass, and for all safety glazing
additional strength is needed to meet mechanical applications. Tempered glass is commonly used in
loads (wind or snow) or thermal loads caused by sliding doors, storm doors, atriums, partitions,
certain tinted or coated glasses. Heat-strengthened windows, storefronts, display cases, bath and
glass is widely used in laminated glass for shower enclosures and all-glass doors and
additional strength, such as in overhead and entrances. Tempered glass should not be installed
sloped glazing. Heat-strengthened glass cannot in areas where it is exposed to temperatures
be used in any safety glazing applications. greater than approximately 400F because it will
begin to lose its degree of temper (reverting back
See the White Glass Selector Tab for some to annealed glass).
typical applications.

Characteristics

Properties Unaffected by Heat-treating fractures, the cracks are far apart and the pieces
The color, chemical composition and light are normally quite large with sharp edges. As a
transmission characteristics of glass remain result of the heat-treating process, tempered glass
unchanged after the heat-treating process. The fractures into small particles when broken, thus
physical properties of glass, such as the compressive meeting the safety glazing requirements of the
strength, hardness, specific gravity, the softening federal safety glazing standard, CPSC 16 CFR
point, thermal conductivity, solar transmittance, 1201, the Canadian safety glazing standard
stiffness and expansion coefficient, also CAN/CGSB-12.1 and the American National
remain unchanged. Standard, ANSI Z97.1. These safety glazing
standards require the ten largest particles of
Deflection the test specimen to weigh no more than the
equivalent weight of 10 sq. in. of glass thickness.
It is important to note that heat-treating does not
The breakage characteristics of heat-strengthened
change the deflection characteristics of glass. In
glass can vary within the allowable stress range
many cases, even though thinner heat-treated
of the product (3,500 to 7,500 psi surface
glass may be strong enough for a specific
compression). Heat-strengthened glass typically
application, thicker glass may need to be specified
fractures into large pieces that are more similar to
in order to reduce the amount of glass deflection.
annealed glass than to tempered glass.
The project design professional establishes the
maximum allowable deflection, as well as the
Fabrication
design loads, on a project. Given a specific glass
size and the design load, Oldcastle Glass can Fabrication work such as cutting, polishing,
determine if the glass will meet the specified grinding, drilling, notching, sandblasting, etching
maximum deflection requirement. or any other process that modifies the glass, must
be completed prior to heat-treating the glass.
Breakage Characteristics ASTM C1048 provides specific limitations and
requirements for the size and location of holes and
The higher the amount of residual stress in a
notches. Any fabrication process completed after
piece of glass, the smaller the particle size will be
the glass is heat-treated, such as sandblasting or
when the glass fractures. When annealed glass
V-grooving, will reduce the strength of the glass.

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 Heat-Treated Glass

Heat-Treated Glass
Characteristics (continued)

Roller Wave Distortion in Heat-Treated Glass appear as geometric patterns of iridescence or

Since the glass is heat-treated in a horizontal darkish shadows. The strain pattern may appear
oven, it contains waves created by contact with under certain lighting conditions, particularly in
ceramic rolls during the heating process. This the presence of polarized light. This phenomenon
waviness, or roller wave distortion, can be is a result of localized stresses imparted by the
detected when viewing reflected images from a rapid air-cooling (quenching) of the heat-treating
distance. To minimize the appearance of roller process. This strain pattern is an inherent
wave distortion, the glass orientation in the oven characteristic of heat-treated glass and is not
becomes critical. When the direction of roller considered a defect.
waves is critical, roller waves are typically specified
and ordered parallel to the horizontal (sill) or Thermal Shock Resistance
base dimension. Heat-treated glass will withstand greater thermal
shock than the same thickness and configuration
Flatness of annealed glass. Thermal shock results when a
Due to the nature of the heat-treating process, rapid temperature change between the surface and
heat-strengthened and tempered glass are not as core of the glass occurs. When this temperature
flat as annealed glass. The deviation for flatness differential is of sufficient magnitude, the glass
depends on glass thickness, width and length, and will fracture. To fracture 1/4" (6 mm) annealed
other factors. ASTM C1048 contains information glass, the average temperature differential would
on the permissible overall bow and warp, and on be approximately 100F (38C). To fracture 1/4"
localized warp. (6 mm) heat-strengthened and tempered glass, the
average temperature differential would be about
Strain Pattern 250F (121C) and 400F (204C), respectively.
The resistance to thermal shock also decreases
Heat-treated glass may display visible strain
with increased glass thickness.
patterns, also known as quench marks. These

Additional Important Information

Design Criteria Contact Us

Details on the following important topics can For any additional information, including details,
be found in the Black Design Criteria Tab: technical data, specifications, technical assistance
Glazing Instructions, Thermal Stress, Deflection, and samples, or to speak with an architectural
Glass Design Loads, Glass Thickness Selection, specialist, call 1-866-OLDCASTLE(653-2278).
Spontaneous Breakage of Tempered Glass,
Roller Wave Distortion in Heat-treated Glass, Visit Us on the Web
Mock-ups and Warranties. Log on to www.oldcastleglass.com for project
photos, product colors, general inquiries and
Specifications project assistance.
A sample Section 08800 Specification for North
America can be found in the Black Specifications To view performance data on a wide range of
Tab. Information specific to heat-strengthened glass makeups, or to build your own product
and tempered glass can be found in Part 2 specification, log on to www.oldcastleglass.com
Products, 2.02 Materials. and choose GlasSelect.

Section 7 03
Page 6 Where glass becomes architecture