Fire-Induced Glass Breakage in Windows: Review of Knowledge and Planning Ahead

Along fuel load, ventilation conditions govern fire development in compartment fires. Therefore, a breaking window can change the fire and thereby the thermal loads on structures. In this paper, the current literature on the topic is studied to identify key parameters for glass breakage and map the current level of knowledge for each of them. It is found that the level of knowledge for the different parameters varies a lot. Based on the results, it is recommended that especially the effects of multipane windows, gas filling between layers, low-energy coatings, and over-pressure in the fire room are investigated further. The knowledge gained from these results should later be transformed into practical design rules to assess a realistic ventilation factor and have a better prediction of the structure temperature and load capacity during a compartment fire.