Structural Silicone Glazing: 50 Years of Performance Explained

Past, Present, Future

December 2017
Sponsored by Dow Performance Silicones

Presented by Lawrence D. Carbary

Continuing Education

Use the following learning objectives to focus your study while reading this month’s Continuing Education article.

Learning Objectives - After reading this article, you will be able to:

  1. Map the basic load distribution on a piece of glass and how that load is transferred to the edges of the panel.
  2. Calculate the amount of structural silicone required to support the edge of glass.
  3. Identify structural silicone as a thermal break in a glazing system.
  4. Refer to standards and publications that document the science, engineering, and performance of structural silicone glazing.

This must-attend webinar will review original and modern project applications of structural silicone glazing, a unique hyperelastic material that acts as a continuous flexible anchor for glass. It will discuss the history of structural silicone glazing, the basic engineering of systems for attaching the edge of glass, as well as the advent of various system types.

Performance aspects of silicone structural glazing will be reviewed in depth with regard to building design, energy efficiency, and safety performance through natural and man-made events.

Current state-of-the-art systems will be highlighted, with reference to unitized curtain walls and the use of finite elemental analysis to optimize the design. A review of current international standards for the application will also be presented.

Photo of New york buildings on outside looking in.

Photo courtesy of Dow Performance Silicones


Larry Carbary presenter picture Larry Carbary, industry scientist/fellow, is a senior member of Dow Performance SIlicones' Facade Engineering and Architectural Design Team, where he designs and validates new high-performance technologies for commercial facade performance.


Dow Performance Silicones is a global business unit of DowDuPont Materials Sciences division and pioneer of heritage Dow Corning high performance building solutions. Dow Corning revolutionized the way architects and fabricators design commercial facades, with 50+ years of proven performance in Silicone Structural Glazing (SSG) and Weatherproofing Sealants (WP). Now sold under the DOWSIL™ product brand name, architects can continue to rely on the same trusted silicone chemistries, features, and product benefits for design freedom and occupant comfort, safety, and security.