Review on Glass Curtain Walls under Different Dynamic Mechanical Loads: Regulations, Experimental Methods and Numerical Tools

Abstract

This chapter explores the behaviour and performance of glass curtain wall systems under various dynamic mechanical loads, including seismic, wind and impulsive loads. The classification of glass façade systems, comprising framed and frameless types, is first shortly discussed, along with their core components such as glass panels and frames. The challenges posed by glass material, including its vulnerability to impact, stress peaks and extreme loads, are acknowledged. The study further delves into various design standards and regulations for glass façade systems under dynamic loads, addressing seismic events and wind and impulsive loads and hence outlining parameters for assessment, performance criteria, and design considerations in use of glass curtain walls. Additionally, numerical methods are explored as effective tools for simulating and analysing the mechanical response of glass curtain walls under dynamic loads. The utility of these methods is showcased through a case study involving the Finite Element (FE) modelling of a glass curtain wall system exposed to a lateral in-plane load. The results of FE analysis are then compared with literature experimental results, which indicates its capacity to anticipate structural responses and even complex mechanisms under dynamic loads.