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LAMINATED
How is it made?
- Laminated glass is produced by permanently bonding two pieces of glass
together with a tough plastic interlayer (polyvinyl butyral) under heat
and pressure.
- The interlayer material is invisible when viewed through the glass.
With glass on either side, the finished lite is indistinguishable from
monolithic glass when installed in a frame.
- Most often, laminated
glass is produced from annealed glass, but heat strengthened or tempered
can be used when special performance needs are required.
 
Laminated glass (left) may
crack under impact, but typically remains integral. Annealed glass (right)
typically produces long, sharp-edged splinters upon breakage.
What is it used for?
Laminated glass is used for
both safety and noise reduction applications.
One benefit of laminated glass is that, if broken, glass fragments
adhere to the plastic interlayer rather than falling free and potentially
causing injury. Laminated annealed glass can be cut or drilled.
Laminated glass is required in sloped glazing applications that exceed
any of the following conditions:
- The area of each lite (monolithic glass) or unit (insulating glass)
exceeds 16 square feet.
- The highest point of the glass is greater than 12 feet above any
walking surface or other accessible area.
- The nominal thickness of each lite exceeds 3/16 inch.
What are other benefits of laminated glass?
Laminated glass is highly
effective in reducing noise, thus improving Sound Transmission Class
ratings. The best design incorporates laminated glass in an insulated
unit. The damping characteristics of the plastic interlayer combines with
the attenuating characteristics of the air space in the IG unit to
maximize sound reduction.
Example: Two lites of 1/4" laminated glass in an IG unit with 1/2"
airspace provide an STC rating of 42. This compares with two pieces of
monolithic 1/4" glass in an IG unit with a 1/2" airspace, the STC rating
would only be 35. The higher the STC rating, the better the performance.
Laminated glass also blocks 99.9% of ultraviolet rays, making it highly
effective in prolonging the appearance of furnishings, displays,
merchandise and other valuables. (Reducing ultra-violet rays does not stop
the fading of materials.)
Standard laminated glass is 7/32" with a .030 (approx. 1/32") polyvinyl
butyral inner layer.
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