Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Performance of structural glass facades under extreme loads – Design methods, existing research, current issues and trends

Bedon, Chiara ; Zhang, Xihong ; Santos, Filipe ; Honfi, Dániel LU ; Kozłowski, Marcin LU ; Arrigoni, Michel ; Figuli, Lucia and Lange, David (2018) In Construction and Building Materials 163. p.921-937
Abstract

Glass has been overwhelmingly used for windows and facades in modern constructions, for many practical reasons, including thermal, energy, light and aesthetics. Nevertheless, due to the relatively low tensile strength and mostly brittle behaviour of glass, compared to other traditional materials, as well as to a multitude of interacting structural and non-structural components, windows/facades are one of the most fragile and vulnerable components of buildings, being representative of the physical line of separation between interior and exterior spaces. As such, multidisciplinary approaches, as well as specific fail-safe design criteria and analysis methods are required, especially under extreme loading conditions, so that casualties and... (More)

Glass has been overwhelmingly used for windows and facades in modern constructions, for many practical reasons, including thermal, energy, light and aesthetics. Nevertheless, due to the relatively low tensile strength and mostly brittle behaviour of glass, compared to other traditional materials, as well as to a multitude of interacting structural and non-structural components, windows/facades are one of the most fragile and vulnerable components of buildings, being representative of the physical line of separation between interior and exterior spaces. As such, multidisciplinary approaches, as well as specific fail-safe design criteria and analysis methods are required, especially under extreme loading conditions, so that casualties and injuries in the event of failure could be avoided and appropriate safety levels could be guaranteed. In this context, this paper presents a review of the state of art on analysis and design methods in use for glass facades, with careful consideration for extreme loading configurations, including natural events, such as seismic events, extreme wind or other climatic exposures, and man-made threats, i.e. blast loads and fire. Major results of available experimental outcomes, current issues and trends are also reported, summarising still open challenges.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Design standards and regulations, Extreme loads, Glass facades, Mitigation and protection, Structural glass, Vulnerability
in
Construction and Building Materials
volume
163
pages
17 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85039871830
ISSN
0950-0618
DOI
10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.153
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f84a33f7-1475-4de0-bb87-d9f22f23f66e
date added to LUP
2018-01-09 09:31:30
date last changed
2022-03-09 08:22:44
@article{f84a33f7-1475-4de0-bb87-d9f22f23f66e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Glass has been overwhelmingly used for windows and facades in modern constructions, for many practical reasons, including thermal, energy, light and aesthetics. Nevertheless, due to the relatively low tensile strength and mostly brittle behaviour of glass, compared to other traditional materials, as well as to a multitude of interacting structural and non-structural components, windows/facades are one of the most fragile and vulnerable components of buildings, being representative of the physical line of separation between interior and exterior spaces. As such, multidisciplinary approaches, as well as specific fail-safe design criteria and analysis methods are required, especially under extreme loading conditions, so that casualties and injuries in the event of failure could be avoided and appropriate safety levels could be guaranteed. In this context, this paper presents a review of the state of art on analysis and design methods in use for glass facades, with careful consideration for extreme loading configurations, including natural events, such as seismic events, extreme wind or other climatic exposures, and man-made threats, i.e. blast loads and fire. Major results of available experimental outcomes, current issues and trends are also reported, summarising still open challenges.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bedon, Chiara and Zhang, Xihong and Santos, Filipe and Honfi, Dániel and Kozłowski, Marcin and Arrigoni, Michel and Figuli, Lucia and Lange, David}},
  issn         = {{0950-0618}},
  keywords     = {{Design standards and regulations; Extreme loads; Glass facades; Mitigation and protection; Structural glass; Vulnerability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  pages        = {{921--937}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Construction and Building Materials}},
  title        = {{Performance of structural glass facades under extreme loads – Design methods, existing research, current issues and trends}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.153}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.153}},
  volume       = {{163}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}