Experimental study on full-scale glass roof panels with embedded laminated connections under the short-term and long-term loading

Abstract

This experimental study covers a problematic of full-scale roof panels with four embedded laminated point connections under two types of loads - short-term loads on intact panels, and long-term uniform loads after the fracture of a thermally treated glass pane. Two types of panels consisting either of fully tempered, or heat strengthened glass plies in combination with float glass, were tested, and a specific type of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate foil was used as the interlayer. The first part of the study investigates short-term load bearing capacity of horizontally suspended panels. The load was applied in several loading and unloading cycles until the collapse of any connection. The second part of the study is focused on the residual load-bearing capacity of the roof panels after a partial failure, whereas a first step, the thermally treated glass plies were intentionally fractured. The long-term part of the experiment was performed within 65 days. During this period, the load was increasing until a collapse of any connection. In both types of experiment, a difference between specimens with fully tempered and heat strengthened glass was observed. In the short-term part of the experiment, the specimens with fully tempered glass failed in two steps and therefore, showed considerable post-failure load bearing capacity. On the other hand, the specimens with heat strengthened glass collapsed suddenly in one moment giving no post-failure capacity. In the long-term part of the experiment, the resistance of specimens with heat strengthened glass was higher than the resistance of specimens with fully tempered glass. Therefore, both types of panels might find its purpose in real applications if the needs of the structure are properly considered.