Glass Types for Building Envelope Products

There are typically four different glass types used in glazing products: From weakest to strongest they are: Annealed, Heat Strengthened, Tempered and Laminated.

1. Annealed glass is your basic non-impact glass type. It is used in applications where the required wind load is not so high and safety requirements are not a concern. When annealed glass breaks, it breaks in sharp chards.

2. Heat Strengthened glass is also a non-impact glass. It undergoes a “heat treatment” that increases it’s strength to twice that of annealed glass. It is used in similar applications to annealed glass but where the required wind loads are much higher. When heat strengthened glass breaks, it also breaks in chards.

3. Tempered glass is your basic impact glass. It undergoes a more aggressive “treatment” that increases it’s strength to four times that of annealed glass. It is used in “small missile” impact applications typically installed 30 feet or higher above ground and in safeguard applications. When tempered glass breaks, it breaks into very small cubes.

4. Laminated glass is your typical impact glass. It is a combination of two (usually) of the three previously mentioned glass types that are “laminated” together with an interlayer between them. It is typically used in “large missile” impact applications installed up to 30 feet above ground. When laminated glass breaks, it breaks based on it’s glass type make-up but is held in place by the interlayer…similar to a car’s windshield.