Steel-glass Structural Elements with a New Generation of Adhesives

Abstract

Intensive progress in the field of polymer adhesives opens up new opportunities in their usage. Glass is combined with steel in hybrid systems to improve its load-bearing capacity, stiffness, residual load-carrying capacity and to preserve a high degree of transparency at the same time. Adhesive connection between glass and other materials in hybrid structures is beneficial, because in dependence on geometry and stiffness, the glue in joints can provide uniform stress distribution along the contact area. The current paper deals with the research study of two generations of adhesives. The study begins with a description of tensile behavior of dumbbell test specimens made from a new type of adhesive and its predecessor. Because shear connection is used in hybrid steel-glass beams due to its suitable stress distribution and good feasibility, both glues were tested in shear joint specimens to compare their properties. Both adhesives were also applied in the linear connection of steel-glass beams with the span of 4 m and compared to each other as the last step of the study.