Structural use of Glass

Abstract

Recent architectural trends and technological developments have brought about unprecedented opportunities and exciting changes in the use of glass in buildings. Structural engineers currently have a bewildering array of glass products and configurations to choose from and a wide range of normal and exceptional loading conditions to consider, but very few unified reference texts for undertaking these tasks. This book attempts to redress this issue by providing an overview of the recent developments in this field thereby providing a basis for the understanding of the structural performance and design of glass in buildings. Each chapter draws on the latest developments in practice and research and contains contributions from various international glass experts. The mix of general and specialist content ranging from rules of thumb to fracture mechanics and novel applications to post-breakage performance make this book useful to practitioners and researchers. Furthermore, the text is supplemented by tables of the major codes of practice and by an extensive list of references. The book is primarily for structural engineers and researchers who have an interest in structural glass. It will be used by senior undergraduates, post-graduate students, researchers and practicing engineers.