Question regarding broken trellis glass

Dear Glass Detective,

My glass subcontractor has been laying laminated glass on a trellis with standoffs. The glass keeps breaking. The standoffs are approximately 24 inches apart. What is wrong?

Thanks.
Steve
San Diego, CA

Answer to question regarding broken trellis glass

Steve,

Thank you for contacting the Glass Detective with your concerns over a continuing glass breakage problem you are having with glass being installed in a trellis using “standoffs” for attachment. You don’t state the type of standoff being used or the thickness of the glass being used but with the information you have provided I am going to make a bit of a jump to a conclusion as to the problem with the ongoing glass breakage. There are a few different types of standoffs but whether you are using a glued on standoff or one that requires a hole be drilled in the glass, you should be using a tempered glass product, not laminated glass. If you want (or due to code requirements) need to go with laminated glass compositions, still use tempered glass (2 pieces of tempered laminated together). Based on my interpretation from the information you have provided, you will not get the laminated glass (non-tempered) to work long term. It is not strong enough. I hope this is of some help to you.

Sincerely,

The Glass Detective