Hybrid Laminations for Structural Glass

André Chaszar

Designers of structural glass elements (such as flooring, beams and columns) frequently face a dilemma: how to obtain the improved bending strength of tempered glass as well as the impact resistance and post-breakage integrity of annealed glass? Especially in applications where the glass is to be held in place by limited means – such as point supports – rather than by a continuous frame, the post-breakage scenarios are daunting even with the toughest laminating interlayers.

This paper presents results of tests carried out to compare the resistance to breaking and the postbreakage integrity of all-annealed, all-tempered, and hybrid annealed-tempered laminated glass panels for use as the roof of an open-air auditorium. It concludes that hybrid laminated panels can offer excellent performance in both the intact condition and in post-breakage situations.

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