The Fallacy of the Weibull Distribution for Window Glass Design

The Weibull distribution is generally used to account for the observed reduction in glass strength with increasing windowpane area. However, the Weibull distribution does not accurately predict the probability of breakage at the design stresses. This paper presents a review of the original derivation of the Weibull distribution and explains why a sound probability theory, such as was used by Weibull, can lead to erroneous predictions of the failure probability of window glass panes. The results of the breakage data from recent research are also presented, to demonstrate the fallacy of using the Weibull distribution. Also, the possible consequences of using incorrect or fictitious probabilities are presented. Finally, an alternative design approach is presented, which can account for the apparent reduction of strength for increased windowpane area.

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The Authors

Dr. Ignatius Calderone Director Calderone and Associates Pty Ltd Dr Ignatius Calderone is a Director of Calderone and Associates Pty Ltd, Consulting Engineers based in Melbourne Australia. His expertise is in the areas of building façade design particularly with re... Read more