The Underestimated Structural Role of Elastic Joints in Glass Beam Applications

Jan Belis, Rudy Van Impe, Guy Lagae, Wesley Vanlaere and Matthieu De Beule

Several built examples are known of constructions in which load-bearing glass beams are used. An important problem with this kind of designs is the lack of design codes or standards.

In literature on glass beams, little or no attention is given to the problem of buckling. In this article, the authors want to warn for the importance of this failure mechanism. At the same time, however, it is shown that this problem could be dealt with in many cases, simply by providing an adequate connection between the glass beams and the superstructure. Quite an evident connection could be the use of sealants or elastic joints.

In the text below and on the poster shown at GPD 2003, an idea is given of the actual impact of elastic joint applications on the elastic buckling load of glass beams, and on their overall load-bearing capacity.

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