Evaluation of Hurricane Windows

Window Expert has been involved in a large case involving the failure of hurricane windows. These windows are made from two layers of glass with a thick layer (0.05″) of a flexible polymer.
The lesson from this effort has been that the polymers selected for producing windows that meet Miami Dade County requirements must have the required properties. However, Miami Dade does not specifically require the amount of accelerated aging that will prove that a window will be reliable for ten to twenty years (polymer degradation). As an experienced manufacturing engineer, I reccomend that anyone developing a system of this type be aware of the extreme environmental stresses that must be endured by these windows. The important environmental stresses include high temperature, high humidity (this includes the potential for standing water) and exposure to ultra violet light. A series of accelerated life tests should be developed to evaluate the long term reliability of these windows. MIL Std 883 is a good starting point for developing these tests.