The behaviour of flexible constrained glass panes subjected to tempartue loads

Glass panes, applied as building material in façades, normally have flexible boundaries which allow free deformation in plane, in order to avoid thermal stresses and breakage caused by temperature loads. In case glass panes are used as in plane loaded structural components in façades, e.g. as part of a diaphragm wall, a stiff connection between glass pane and adjoining structure is required because of the desired direct transfer of forces. This contradicts with the previous statement of a flexible connection needed for thermal expansion. A series of six full-scale tests has been conducted to explore this problem. The experimental set-up involved a single glass pane within a rigid steel frame with hinged corners connected by a continuous bond line along the edges. The glass pane was subjected to a temperature load induced by an array of infrared lights. To conduct a parameter study, a finite element model has been developed to simulate the experiments. Parameters included were the glass thickness, glass type (clear or tinted), and the type of the bond line (polyurethane or epoxy). The paper describes the results of the tests, the development of the finite element model, and the results of the parameter study.