Peter Lenk & Graham Dodd | Structural Glass Walls – Gravity and Stability Elements
Structural engineers have gained considerable knowledge in the behaviour of structural glass from the pioneering and experimental beginnings to the advanced design of a free standing pavilions, structural envelopes and structures suspended from high rise buildings.
In this presentation Peter and Graham look at the potential of a most commonly used component in facade design – a load-bearing glass wall panel. They review glass walls in the context of projects since 1998, influences and incremental steps they introduced to the understanding of the structural behaviour especially glass elements loaded with in plane loadings.
Stress concentrations at the loading points and methods of energy dissipation in the glass connections are outlined. Common analysis techniques to estimate buckling capacity and possible failure mechanisms will be briefly discussed together with installation tolerances and other challenges faced in the construction of the largest glass load-bearing wall structures.
For further reading you may read the “Glass as a Structural Material” paper authored by RACHEL LYNN WHITE
https://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2097/471/RachelWhite2007.pdf
Re-thinking the life-cycle of architectural glass ARUP
