Insulating Glass Unit Quick Selection Guide

The structural design of sealed insulating glass units for wind loads involves complex structural mechanics procedures that address load sharing between two glass lites that vary in thickness, dimensions, and heat treatments. In exhaustive studies of windows in mid- and high-rise buildings, it has been shown that any one of six commonly used window glass lites [6, 8, 10 mm (1/4, 5/16, 3/8 in.), heat-strengthened and fully tempered], acting alone, can represent the minimum load resistance of dual-lite, sealed insulating glass units that contain this lite when paired with any one of the six listed lites. Further, the minimum load resistance of each of these six lites can be related to building height by employing wind load design of current standards. An innovative technique permits selection of dual-lite insulating glass unit constructions for mid- and high-rise buildings in the Inland Zone and a Hurricane Zone that meet wind load provisions of building codes based upon building height alone, without calculations.