Technical Guidance Note (Level 1, No. 35): Introduction to structural glass

Author: The Institution of Structural Engineers

Date published

28 February 2014

Price

Standard: £14.95 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

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Technical Guidance Note (Level 1, No. 35): Introduction to structural glass

Tag
Author
The Institution of Structural Engineers
Date published
28 February 2014
Price

Standard: £14.95 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

The Structural Engineer
Author

The Institution of Structural Engineers

Citation

The Structural Engineer, Volume 92, Issue 3, 2014, Page(s) 5

Date published

28 February 2014

Author

The Institution of Structural Engineers

Citation

The Structural Engineer, Volume 92, Issue 3, 2014, Page(s) 5

Price

Standard: £14.95 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

This note is an introduction to glass as a structural material. It describes glass in terms of its properties, how it reacts when subjected to various forces, and the design methods being explored by structural engineers.

Introduction
As with all materials, the design of structural glass elements requires a good understanding of how the material behaves when placed under load. Glass is a very strong material, but also extremely brittle. This key attribute causes it to fail suddenly as it cannot yield, unlike more traditional materials such as steel and timber. This fact presents unique challenges to structural engineers when designing structural elements to be made from glass.

This technical guidance note is an introduction to glass as a structural material. It aims to describe glass in terms of its properties, how it reacts when subjected to various forces and the methods currently being explored and adopted by structural engineers when designing structural glass elements. Much of the guidance written here reflects what is provided in the recently published Institution guide: Structural use of glass in buildings: second edition.

Additional information

Format:
PDF
Pages:
5
Publisher:
The Institution of Structural Engineers

Tags

Technical Guidance Notes Technical Guidance Notes (Level 1) Technical Guidance Notes Technical Issue 3

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