The thermal safety of glass can be assessed by comparing a calculated value of the maximum temperature difference the glass will encounter in its glazed situation with the safe temperature difference for the glass.  If the safe temperature difference exceeds the maximum temperature difference for a particular pane of glass, then that pane will be thermally safe for the proposed glazing situation.

If the glass is not thermally safe, then consideration will need to be given to adjusting the system or the glass type. Toughened or heat strengthened glass has a much greater safe temperature difference than annealed glass and consequently the solution is often to change the glass specification to a toughened or heat strengthened form of the selected glass.

Pilkington has developed a technique for predicting the thermal safety of glazed installations subjected to solar radiation. An assessment can be undertaken using the Pilkington Thermal Stress online calculator available via MyPilkington.  To register for MyPilkington, please click here.