Masonry Magazine March 1969 Page. 11
Pane glass sections on the east wall of the Richland office of the Moxham National Bank, Johnstown, Pa. cracked during cold wearner and were replaced with Pittsburgh Corning's Chiaro glass wall units.
THE POPPING PANE MYSTERY
Project: Moxham National Bank, Johnstown, Pa.
Architect: James Kring
Contractor: Hershberger & Kaufman
Photography: John Hobbs
Original plans called for pane glass windows to be installed in the new Richland office of the Moxham National Bank in Johnstown, Pennsylvania during the spring of 1965. The pane glass held up well throughout the summer and early fall, but when the cold weather arrived in November, the 10 x 13 foot panes began to crack with a popping sound.
Faulty installation was the accepted reason for breakage, but then, newly installed replacement panes began to break. Still other replacements cracked, and the problem continued.
Eight panes broke over the period of the next two winters. It was discovered that only panes on the east side of the building cracked between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on cold, sunny days.
Further investigation revealed that there was an expansion-contraction problem. When the mercury dropped to 10 degrees or lower at night, the panes would contract. The following day, when the sun's rays heated the windows, instant expansion caused them to crack. Because of the surrounding hills, the sun did not shine on the bank until about 11 a.m.
To eliminate further breakage, the panes were replaced with Pittsburgh Corning Corporation's Chiaro glass wall units.
The glass blocks added an attractive design element to the bank, while still allowing sunlight to shine in and there are no more 'popping panes".
masonry • March, 1969
The Chiaro glass block panel (above) adds an attractive design element to the bank's interior. It is one of eight pane glass panels that needed replacement.