Rubber Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Ok, so I was on the phone in the bedroom of the flat when there was a loud crash and my wife screamed Went into the sitting room to see her in shock and our coffee table in pieces all over the floor. Coincidentally (?) a car alarm was going off out in the street. She didn't touch the table - she was just sitting on the couch when it just collapsed (exploded!) BEFORE: AFTER: This ain't a thin table! So what happened? I have had this table for 3 years. It has had a relatively heavy sand filled glass ornament (~10 kg) resting in the middle for the last 6 months (not shown in before picture). It has had no other knocks or bangs. I don;t understand how it could just break like that. Surely glass will have a brittle fracture so it will break or it won't break i.e. it won't have been weakening over time? In addition, I was in the bedroom and my wife was siting down so there would have been no floor movement. We are on the 2nd story and the car alaram also went off but I did not notice a tremor or shudder in the windows? Any materials experts? (or mediums ) Chris (Batman) Quote
Zugara Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I see the problem.....Picture 2 explains it all.... Smelly trainers..... Sorry. but WTF? Must have been stressed glass, maybe just waiting for a slight temp change and correct conditions for the stress to releive its self... Quote
ATTAK Z Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 That should NOT have happened ! ............ unbelievable ......... I guess we're talking about £300.00 plus for that table Quote
Rubber Posted August 23, 2010 Author Posted August 23, 2010 Strange, it wasn't particularly warmer than any other night Quote
Rubber Posted August 23, 2010 Author Posted August 23, 2010 It's all very strange, as far as I'm aware, the fact that glass is brittle means that it tends not to bend or weaken over time. If it can't take the weight, it just breaks Quote
ATTAK Z Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Glass when tempered correctly is very strong in flexural bending ....... there must have been a fault with yours, especially as it failed when it was subject to what amounts to zero load condition Quote
DoogyRev Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Thats amazing.....Could be the frequency the car alarm was using that resonated with a flaw in your glass table... simples I would find out who's car and ask them to repalce your table If not.... just get a wooden one P.S Book on "Hamster" and "Keep calm and carry on"...... any thing we should know? Quote
Zugara Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_glass_breakage Quote
rtbiscuit Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 i think your missus nutted it after watching WWE wrestling and was to embarrassed to admit it Quote
Husky Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 not unheard of but freaky when it happens. had this at a mates house years ago. we were all drunk and one of the guys had his missus on the table and... no this is different come to think of it, nevermind. Quote
Rubber Posted August 24, 2010 Author Posted August 24, 2010 Our materials expert at work reckons that there may have been a manufacturing defect.He says that it is possible for the crack to have been slowly propagating - something I didn't think would happen with a brittle material like glass Quote
rawbhp Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 exactly the same happened to my brother's table, which was the same shape. No one was touching it and it exploded everywhere. Not good! Quote
Stew Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 Fair old mess Chris! Liking the pic of Union Street with the Tram! Time to buy a new Coffee Table methinks! Quote
Rubber Posted August 24, 2010 Author Posted August 24, 2010 You're eagle eyed buggers on this site! I think about 10% of people looked at the coffee table and the rest studied every other detail around the flat! Quote
Stew Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 I saw the all the books, I knew you had a hamster though! Quote
ATTAK Z Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 You're eagle eyed buggers on this site! I think about 10% of people looked at the coffee table and the rest studied every other detail around the flat! There's a few sad B@$TARDS around ..... me being one of them Quote
maz0 Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 Our materials expert at work reckons that there may have been a manufacturing defect.He says that it is possible for the crack to have been slowly propagating - something I didn't think would happen with a brittle material like glass Is there any more jobs coming up in your work as a materials expert? I reckon I could state the obvious as a day job as well Quote
Rubber Posted August 25, 2010 Author Posted August 25, 2010 Not sure you're technical explanation of "cheap shite" would cut it in a work environment? Quote
maz0 Posted August 25, 2010 Posted August 25, 2010 Not sure you're technical explanation of "cheap shite" would cut it in a work environment? Quote
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