Thermal and Stress Analysis of Glazing in Fires and Glass Fracture Modeling with a Probabilistic Approach

Abstract

The aim of the study is to predict the thermal and stress behavior of a framed glass subjected to typical fire conditions, and the initial glass fracture time and locations using a probabilistic approach as an alternative to Pagni's deterministic criterion. Thermal stresses in glass have been little researched. The probabilistic approach has the advantage of taking into account some uncertainties such as the edge conditions. The model employed is based on stress and conduction heat transfer models, a spectral discrete ordinates radiation model, and a failure probability model. Some results of its verification and applications are reported here.

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Pilkington plc for this work.