Glass façades in fires: Cracking patterns reveal potential fallout danger.
Glass panels in building facades can break in fires, affecting fire dynamics. A study tested different glass types placed at varying distances from fires. Float glass cracked and fell when reaching 200-300°C, while toughened glass bent but didn't crack. Cracks started at fixed points and formed islands causing glass fallout. Point-supported glass fell easier than edge-covered glass. Toughened glass softened but didn't crack when exposed to fire.