Methods of construction of evacuated glazing

A thermally insulating glass panel, comprising:

• two sheets of glass, each said sheet having a continuous peripheral edge and a central region within said peripheral edge;
• an edge seal of solder glass connecting said glass sheets in spaced facing relation by extending between the respective peripheral edges of the glass sheets, said glass sheets and said edge seal enclosing a space of reduced pressure in comparison to ambient atmospheric pressure;
• and
• an array of support pillars extending between said respective central regions of said glass sheets and maintaining said glass sheets in said spaced facing relation, said support pillars within said array having cross-sectional dimensions, spatial relationships and compressive strengths selected to limit deflection of said class sheets by the ambient atmospheric pressure to an extent which limits induction of tensile stress in said glass sheets adjacent said edge seal sufficient to avoid stress failure thereof under the ambient atmospheric pressure;
• wherein each said support pillar in said array has a compressive strength selected to avoid inelastic compression thereof by the deflection of said glass sheets under the ambient atmospheric pressure.