Understanding Tempered Glass in Modern Construction

Tempered glass, also known as safety glass, is renowned for its enhanced strength and safety features. This type of glass is crafted through a thermal tempering process where normal annealed glass is heated to its softening point and then rapidly cooled, enhancing its durability. It's up to six times stronger than standard annealed glass, making it a prime choice for areas where strength, thermal resistance, and safety are paramount.

Usage and Benefits:

Tempered glass is commonly found in residential settings such as shower enclosures and sliding patio doors, and in commercial buildings in applications like frameless doors and structurally loaded windows. Due to its high edge strength, it is also favored in advanced architectural designs such as spider glazing and point-fixed glazing.

When it comes to safety, tempered glass offers considerable advantages. Upon impact, it shatters into small, blunt pieces that are less likely to cause injury, making it ideal for high-risk areas like skylights or high-rise window installations. Its robust composition allows it to withstand significant temperature differences across its surface, which dramatically reduces the risk of thermal breakage.

Strength and Durability:

Fully tempered glass has a minimum surface compression of 10,000 psi, making it significantly stronger than both annealed and heat-strengthened glass. This makes it especially suitable for double glazed windows and doors where extra durability is required. The manufacturing of these high-quality tempered glass products, particularly energy-efficient windows and UPVC double glazed windows, is meticulously carried out in Sydney, ensuring top-tier standards.

Applications in High-Risk Areas:

Given its impressive safety features and strength, fully tempered glass is recommended for windows located on high floors and for skylights that need to be accessed for cleaning. In environments where the risk of thermal or impact breakage is high, using tempered glass can significantly mitigate the risk of injury. This glass is also crucial in point-fixed glazing, bolted, and patch fittings where glass strength is a priority.