The use of steel angles for the connection of laminated glass beams: Experiments and modelling

In the present paper the experimental results relative to three-point bending tests on multilayer glass beams and on semi-rigid connections realised with stainless double web angles are presented and discussed. Small and medium size glass beams were tested and load–deflection curves and crack patterns at failure were recorded. The laminated glass specimens, of equal cross-section, were characterised by three different combinations of annealed float and fully thermally tempered glass plies and different interlayers. Steel joints constituted by double web angles to connect two glass beams were tested adopting several geometrical configurations and using stainless steel bolts preloaded with two different preloading values. The results obtained highlight the brittleness of glass beams with fail safe mechanism in the case of multilayer glasses with PVB. The joints tested were the semi-rigid type, which only make it possible to activate small percentages of the flexural capacity of beams. In all cases examined brittle failure in the glass beams was observed due to stress concentration near the hole, highlighting the importance of the choice of an adequate distance from the hole and the edges of the beams and of the study of an appropriate interface material for connections between glass panels and steel members in the case of both preloaded and non-preloaded bolts.