Physicists call it the coefficient of linear expansion. What it means is that stuff gets bigger when it heats up a bit. Highways buckle and hardwood floors take on moisture, grow and buckle too from the expansion. When tempered glass is squeezed from the side or hit on the side, it’ll explode. Chances are that moisture got into the frame of the shower door, expanded the absorbent material surrounding it enough to create just enough pressure inside the rigid aluminum frame which was cooler, perhaps from the evaporation and the A/C (kids were wearing T-shirts…summer) and these shrinking frame and expanding glass factors squeezed hard enough…kablooey!
I have been involved as an expert in three matters involving shattering glass shower doors. The breakage generally stems from impacts and fractures, poor fabrication or nickel sulfide inclusions.
Mark Meshulam http://www.ChicagoWindowExpert.com
I remember reading about someone that found their shower enclosure exploded the next morning, they didn’t know what had happened to it at all, ghosts? Ha. I guess this is the only explanation
Physicists call it the coefficient of linear expansion. What it means is that stuff gets bigger when it heats up a bit. Highways buckle and hardwood floors take on moisture, grow and buckle too from the expansion. When tempered glass is squeezed from the side or hit on the side, it’ll explode. Chances are that moisture got into the frame of the shower door, expanded the absorbent material surrounding it enough to create just enough pressure inside the rigid aluminum frame which was cooler, perhaps from the evaporation and the A/C (kids were wearing T-shirts…summer) and these shrinking frame and expanding glass factors squeezed hard enough…kablooey!
I have been involved as an expert in three matters involving shattering glass shower doors. The breakage generally stems from impacts and fractures, poor fabrication or nickel sulfide inclusions.
Mark Meshulam
http://www.ChicagoWindowExpert.com
I remember reading about someone that found their shower enclosure exploded the next morning, they didn’t know what had happened to it at all, ghosts? Ha. I guess this is the only explanation
-Solomon Berkovitch