What Can Safety Glass Withstand
From forced entry to accidental impact, glass can keep buildings and their occupants safe and sound. And if you’ve been researching the various ways to enhance your glass’s security, the chances are that you’ve come across the term safety glass.
Safety glass is hard to break and doesn’t cause injuries when broken. It can help keep out thieves, protect buildings from harsh weather, and prevent injuries when the glass breaks.
This post takes a deeper dive into safety glass, outlining what it is, the various types of safety glasses, and how tough they are.
Let’s get started!
What is safety glass?
Safety glass is a glass designed so that it’s hard to break and less prone to causing injuries or lacerations when it breaks. Also, safety glass is what’s manufactured for strength and fire resistance.
Although safety glass on doors and windows is sometimes required by law, you may want to have them fitted in your home or storefront to prevent break-ins. If that’s the case, you’ll need a strong glass that can withstand a high impact. And this brings us to our next topic: what can safety glass withstand?
What can safety glass withstand
Safety glasses are generally stronger than standard glass. They are made by either laminating two sheets of ordinary glass or strengthening the glass sheets by heat treatment. Whichever method is used, you can be sure to have a glass that will protect your store or home from harsh weather, thieves, or accidents.
But, what exactly can the safety glasses withstand? Can it withstand strong wind? What about a hard impact? Temperature? The answer is: it depends on the type of safety glass you have. So, let’s see the various types of safety glass there are.
Types of safety glass
Here are the various types of safety glass.
Tempered Glass
Also known as toughened glass, tempered glass is made by heating the standard glass uniformly. The standard glass is cooled rapidly by blowing air onto both surfaces simultaneously.
Tempered glass can range from 1/8” to ¾” in thickness. This makes them four to five times stronger than a lite of a standard glass of the same thickness and size. What’s more, tempered glass can resist forces caused by wind, heat, and high impact more effectively than annealed glass.
Tempered glass cannot be drilled, cut, or edged. It’s no wonder most storefront windows are made of this type of glass. However, it’s important to note that the glass can’t keep a determined intruder from entering your building. If hit with a hard impact, it can be easily smashed.
Laminated Glass
Laminated glass is made by adding a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) layer between two or more glass lite. The PVB varies in thickness (0.15” to 0.90”) and can be clear or tinted. The unit is then subjected to heat and pressure in an autoclave.
Laminated glass can be used for various purposes, and it can withstand high impact and temperatures. It’s used for sound reduction, burglar resistance, space enclosures, etc. By varying its color and thickness, laminated glass can shield solar energy, screen out UV radiation, and control glare.
Armor shield security glass
This type of glass is designed to withstand a sustained and deliberate attack while still providing the ambiance of a normal glass. It’s made of poly-composite glass laminate with varying thicknesses based on the threat level.
Some of the qualities of this kind of glass include:
- Its strength means that weapons will bounce off
- It can offer protection from physical attack for 5-30 minutes
- If the window glass surface is compromised, the tough inner-core of the poly-composite remains intact, protecting people and property inside.
Armored glass is usually used in detention centers, police cells, courthouses, government offices, prisons, etc.
Bullet resistant glass
As the name suggests, this type of glass is designed to withstand the force of high-velocity projectiles such as bullets. The glass is made of several layers of laminate and glass. A polycarbonate material that absorbs a bullet’s energy is placed between the glass. The thicker the glass, the high impact of a bullet it can withstand.
Here are some properties of the bullet resistance glass:
- It can offer protection from a physical attack of up to 60 minutes.
- It has the appearance of a normal glass
- Its poly-composite spall panel ensures glass fragments aren’t thrown from the back in the event of an attack.
Bulletproof glass is used in banks, panic rooms, embassies, courthouses, etc. Have you also heard of the one-way bulletproof glass? Yes, it exists and can allow a victim to shoot back but not be struck.
Is Safety Glass Right For You?
Safety glass is designed to protect you and your property from intruders, harsh weather conditions, or an attack. The amount of force they can withstand varies depending on the type of glass you choose. This post provides you with some of the types of glass that can protect your building. Good luck as you purpose to use it.
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I need to to thank you for this great read!! I certainly loved every bit of it. I have got you book-marked to look at new things you postÖ
I like that you talked about a type of glass that can even withstand deliberate attacks while still giving a normal glass vibe. I can imagine how a store owner could benefit from investing in this type of material when they need a shop glass repair. They can definitely have peace of mind in the future, and they can also have longer times of not having issues with their property.
It got me when you said that deliberate attacks can be combated by armor shield security glasses compared to normal matierals. I can imagine this type of option is best for banks, jewelry shops, and other stores that have valuable items. So the owners should invest in this type of material when they get a commercial window replacement service when renovating the property they acquired.