Publication: Experimental study of thermal stress of glass panel subjected to artificial solar heating.
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Date
2025-05
Authors
Udi Ufuoma, Joseph
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Abstract
Thermal stresses in glass panels arise from temperature differences across the surface, potentially leading to fractures if stress exceeds the glass's strength. This study investigates thermal stress behavior in frameless glass panels under solar radiation, focusing on real-world environmental conditions rather than compartment fires. Three types of glass—annealed, tempered, and laminated—of varying thicknesses (4, 6, and 8 mm) were tested with two surface shading patterns. A total of 125 solar radiation experiments were conducted. Results showed that thermal stress increases with shading and decreases with glass thickness. For example, 4 mm annealed glass recorded a maximum stress of 8.62 MPa under 25% shading, while thicker panels showed up to 34.22% stress reduction. Tempered and laminated glasses exhibited lower stress values, well below fracture thresholds, indicating better performance under solar loading. However, 4 mm annealed glass showed edge stresses approaching fracture limits, suggesting higher risk. An analytical model was developed to predict thermal stress and highlighted edge stresses as critical to fracture risk, remaining below 0.41 N/mm² per °C gradient. While model validation was limited, findings offer
valuable insights for safer glass design and support the development of simplified assessment methods for industry standards.