Table tempered glass edge break pattern

[Ephant]

Supposed someone (like a naughty child) sits on the edge of the cantilevered hardened tempered glass table (see photo below) and it breaks. Would all the table glass break into pieces at same time or would the edge break separately? and would there still be sharp edges? I know tempered glass breaks into small pieces that's why they are used for safety (you get small cuts instead of deep wounds).

 

[.Scott]

I have seen tempered glass break a few times. In those cases, it kind of disintegrated into very small (less than 1cm) pieces within a second.
But if you are looking for information about a specific circumstance, you should try to get that info from the manufacturer. There is no assurance that what I have seen or even what is generally reported for tempered glass applies to your particular product.

When we were expecting kids, we child-proofed the house. If we had a table similar to the one you have pictured, I would have placed a 70 pound stack of books on one end to find out if it would topple. If it did, I would probably have retired the table.

Actually, we did have a glass-topped coffee table. I never bothered checking it because my wife ordered its eviction. The kids are grown, but it's still in our shed.

 

[berkeman]

Supposed someone (like a naughty child) sits on the edge of the cantilevered hardened tempered glass table (see photo below) and it breaks.

Why would tempered glass be used in that thick table? How do you know that it was used?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempered_glass

 

[Ephant]

Why would tempered glass be used in that thick table? How do you know that it was used?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempered_glass

That's a good question. I thought all glass tables use tempered glass. I thought I saw a "Tempered Glass" mark at one of the corner before. But now I removed all the corner foam and didn't see any "Tempered Glass" mark. It must be on one of the windows at condo. How do you check whether the table uses tempered glass or not? You mean ordinary glass can be used or hardered ordinary glass on glass tables? I saw some chip off in the edge of the table now. Can tempererd glass chip off a bit like the following? If I can prove it is not tempered glass. I'd replace it with wooden table immediately.

 

[Flyboy]

Tempered glass will spiderweb into the aforementioned 5mmish chunks at a quite frankly astonishing speed, something to the tune of over a km/s, iirc. To the human eye, it’s instant. There may be some additional cracking over the ensuing few seconds as it settles, but most of it is done in a few milliseconds.

Personally, if you have any doubts about the safety of the tabletop, replace it. Whether that’s the whole table or just the top is up to you and yours.

 

[Ephant]

Tempered glass will spiderweb into the aforementioned 5mmish chunks at a quite frankly astonishing speed, something to the tune of over a km/s, iirc. To the human eye, it’s instant. There may be some additional cracking over the ensuing few seconds as it settles, but most of it is done in a few milliseconds.

Personally, if you have any doubts about the safety of the tabletop, replace it. Whether that’s the whole table or just the top is up to you and yours.

It is 0.45" (or 11.5mm) thick. The width is 39.37' (1 meter) x 78.74" (2 meter) length. If it is ordinary glass. How do you compute the strength?

First I need to prove it is not tempered glass before I'd replace the whole thing (glass and support) because a wooden table costs about $500.

 

[Tom.G]

First I need to prove it is not tempered glass before I'd replace the whole thing (glass and support) because a wooden table costs about $500.

Alternative: Replace just the top.
Get a sheet of plywood with veneer of decent wood on it. Shellac it and call it done.

 

[Lnewqban]

How do you check whether the table uses tempered glass or not?

Please, see:
https://www.glazingrefurbishments.co.uk/blog/how-to-identify-tempered-glass

 

[Ephant]

Please, see:
https://www.glazingrefurbishments.co.uk/blog/how-to-identify-tempered-glass

"Hold polarised lenses or sunglasses up to the glass. Rotate the lens and look for spots that darken — this indicates the glass is tempered. Polarised light reacts differently when passing through tempered glass due to a strain pattern induced by heat strengthening during manufacture."


I'd try the polarization test, but I couldn't find my colored polarizer sunglasses in my drawers.. maybe I'd buy a clear one from Edmund Scientific.

Speaking of tempered glass. Most condos and malls with balcony or fence glass in walkway used tempered glass. My concern of tempered window in condo is if a person is say leaning on the glass window. And it suddenly breaks from say bird hitting it from outside or even a hard object hitting it from inside say a metallic object accidentally hitting it, then the tempered windows suddenly break all at once and vanish forming many small glass pebbles and fall down along with the person? I always have this concern whenever I see tempered glass in windows or mall walkway fence.

 

[Flyboy]

The polarization trick is a great one, completely forgot about it.

As for the safety… I think most of them are going to take a lot more to break than just a bird hitting it, or being hit by a metal object moving fairly slowly. They’re remarkably tough to break, usually requiring something like being hit by a wayward golf ball or a pellet rifle.

Furthermore, if you’re truly worried about safety, you can laminate it with two thinner “plies” of tempered glass bonded together with, and to, a plastic layer, like a car windshield.

Your table doesn’t have that setup, as you can tell from looking at the edge.