During their lifetime, glass panels are repetitively exposed to thermal stresses. These thermal stresses result from temperature differences within the panel, which most notably cause the edges of the panels to be stressed in tension. When these thermal stresses exceed the glass edge strength, failure will occur. In this study, the thermal stresses are calculated by finite element software on the basis of real climate data during a twenty year period. By means of these finite element analyses it is investigated whether or not the stresses in the glass exceed the edge strength of the glass, thereby causing its failure. For this purpose, the yearly maximum stresses are derived from the model. In addition, the entire thermal stress history has been taken into account to incorporate the effects of stress corrosion on the edge strength of the glass. From the study it is observed that the latter criterion may be more stringent than the former.@en

Due to their increasing use in contemporary architecture, the lateral torsional buckling performance of laminated structural glass beams represents a topic of great interest for researchers. Although several analytical models and design approaches have been recently proposed, various aspects complicate the realistic prediction of this phenomenon. Based on experimental results of a large campaign of lateral torsional buckling tests (55 laminated beams), the paper investigates analytically the effects of various mechanical (e.g. the stiffness of interlayer) and geometrical properties (e.g. initial twist, production tolerances) on the typical lateral torsional buckling response of laminated glass beams.@en

For the past three decades, glass has become more frequently used for secondary construction elements in façade glazing, as well as for structural elements. In the latter case, the edge strength becomes an important issue when designing a structural glass beam or a façade fin. Different parameters affect the edge strength of glass, such as 1) the type of edge finishing and the supplier, 2) the size of the element and 3) the load duration. The first parameter affects the number and the shape of the edge flaws caused by cutting or polishing the edge. Secondly, the size effect is important because larger elements tend to have a greater probability of larger flaws. Finally, the load duration has an impact on the time-dependent strength. In this study, 16 series of glass specimens with different edge finishings and sizes were subjected to in-plane four-point bending tests at several loading rates. The environmental effect (i.e. humidity) was not examined, as all the tests were carried out under constant laboratory conditions. After comparing different distributions, the most appropriate distribution, i.e. Weibull, was used. The results of the series were compared statistically relative to the parameters mentioned above. The results indicate large variations in the edge strength, which are assumed to be related to the edge finishing and the glass supplier. A detailed manufacturing protocol is needed for a more accurate comparison of the results. Furthermore, unlike the size effect, the load duration effect was found to comply with earlier results given in literature.@en