Flexural performance of Metal-Reinforced glass Beams: Numerical and analytical investigation

Abstract

Reinforced glass beam (RG beam) is a promising but under-researched structural typology. Existing analytical models for RG beams have provided unsafe residual resistance predictions, indicating the need for better theoretical methods.As a basis for the theoretical model, this paper conducts a numerical study and validates the applied finite element method (FEM) with previous experiments. To improve computational efficiency, a simplified 2D modelling method is proposed that applies equivalent material models for both laminated glass and adhesive layers, for in-plane flexural behaviour. The applied 2D finite element (FE) model is verified against experimental data.The effects of reinforcement ratio, reinforcement material, adhesive performance, and shear span to depth ratio on the in-plane flexural performance of the RG beam are then extensively investigated using the proposed FEM model. Numerical results help understanding the failure mechanisms of different failure modes, with an emphasis on the significance of adhesive behaviour.Adopting the composite beam theory, an analytical method is proposed to address different limit states of the RG beams and is validated against the FEM and experimantal results.