Experimental Research on Glass- Polycarbonate Beams

Abstract

A research project at the Institute of Building Construction explores composite beams made of glass and transparent polycarbonate. These beams consist of one inner polycarbonate sheet and two outer panes of glass and are bonded by a transparent adhesive. Several experimental tests demonstrated that the glasspolycarbonate beams can behave in a ductile manner when the load-bearing capacity is exceeded. Furthermore, a high residual load-bearing capacity after complete glass-breakage exists. On the contrary, typical laminated glass beams fail in cases of complete glass breakage despite the PVB-foil used. Tests with the composite beams made of glass and polycarbonate were carried out with varying cross-sections, glass types and loadings. Moreover, the different elongations due to temperature were investigated in climate tests.

Keywords

• glass
• polycarbonate
• structural elements
• post-breakage performance