New Static Analysis Methods for Plates Made of Monolithic and Laminated Glass

Abstract

The implementation of a new, high-performance float flat glass manufacturing technology in Europe, in conjunction with the growing interest in new glass functions expressed by the construction industry, has led to significant developments in the theory of glass structures. Long time research conducted in the EU countries has been concluded by the technical document CEN/TC 250 N 1060, drawn up as a part of the work of the European Committee for Standardization on the second edition of Eurocodes (EC). The recommendations pertaining to the design of glass structures have been foreseen in the second edition of the Eurocodes, in particular the development of a separate design standard containing modern procedures for static calculations and stability of glass building structures (cf. works M. Feldmann, R. Kasper, K. Langosch and other). In this paper new static analysis methods for glass plates made of monolithic and laminated glass, declared in th document CEN/TC 250 N 1060 (2014) and recommended in the national standarization document CNR-DT 210 (National Research Council of Italy, 2013) are presented. These static analysis methods are not commonly known in our national engineering environment, and thus require popularization and regional verification. Numerical and analytical simulations presented in this paper for rectangular plates made of monolithic and laminated glass and having various support conditions are of this character. The results of numerical calculations constitute a basis for the discussion of new static analysis methods for plates.

Keywords

• glass
• glass strength
• nonlinear statics
• computer modelling