An experiment by the Ministry of the Interior’s research institute found that sticking tape not only fails to improve windows’ wind resistance but can be counterproductive.
It is common for people in Taiwan to duct-tape windows ahead of an approaching typhoon.
The ministry on Saturday said its Architecture and Building Research Institute conducted an experiment in which they compared taped and untaped windows with each other inside a storm test chamber.
Photo: CNA
Researchers tested different methods for taping windows such as an X shape, following the frame outline, a grid and fully covering it, on a 2.8x2m, 5mm thick window in an aluminum frame.
While the untaped window began to crack at 5,878Pa of pressure, equivalent to 250kph winds, the taped ones broke much more easily.
The frame outline lasted longest at 4,887Pa, followed by the grid at 4,206Pa, fully covered window at 4,189Pa, and finally the X shape at 3,482Pa.
Taping does not enhance a window’s protection, and in fact, might reduce its resiliency, the ministry said.
This result might be because adhesive tape concentrates pressure on particular points in the glass, causing stress fractures, it said.
Instead of taping windows before a typhoon, the ministry recommended installing doors and window frames that meet the national standards or adding blast mitigation film for the best protection against typhoons.
The research institute also conducted tests on the window frames using tempered glass of the same thickness, finding that at 9,000Pa, the window glass was intact, although the aluminum frames were deformed.
The ministry said it recommends upgrading window frames as well as installing reinforced glass for maximum protection.
The Central Weather Administration previously suggested that residents stay away from windows and refrain from duct-taping windows, as taping can create larger shards of glass if windows break.
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