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Damage accumulation in point supported glass panels subjected to earthquake excitations via a simplified stepwise approach

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Abstract

Point-supported glass panels are frequently used for façades systems due to their preferred visual and aesthetics character. These glazing systems are subjected to various static and dynamic loads during the lifetime of a structure. For example, in earthquake prone areas, the glazing systems may be exposed to seismic forces that have been already observed to induce critical damages. The current paper presents a simplified FE-based method to estimate the failure of such point-supported glass panels in case of both single and multiple load events. As an example, the damage induced by a single seismic event is investigated by the current paper that focuses also on the cumulative effect on the glass strength due to a series of earthquakes recorded in California between 1992 and 2010. The proposed method uses a global FE model to estimate the earthquake-induced force time-histories that, then, can be applied for a more detailed sub-model of the local part of the glass in question, including the hole. Subdividing the stresses around the hole into sections allows for a final analysis using the well known model for static fatigue in glass to estimate the damage. The latter enables the calculation of both the short and long-term capacity of the point-supported glass panels that, eventually, leads to the prediction of the remaining life-time of the structure exposed to multiple seismic excitations. From the provided example, it is clearly demonstrated that fully tempered glass is superior for such seismic events. However, the proposed model is generic and may be applied to other type of forces, e.g., related to wind and gravity loads.

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Notes

  1. Glass experiences a reduction in strength over time, even with a static load. This phenomenon is known as static fatigue.

  2. It should be noted that the inert strength of 78 MPa is chosen in such a way that damage (without failure of the glass) can be studied for the glass in later examples.

  3. According to NEHRP (National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program) soil classification, Class C corresponds to very dense soil and soft rock with average shear wave velocity to a depth of 30 m between 360 and 760 m/s.

  4. The moment magnitude \(M_w\) is one of the most common quantitative measure of an earthquake’s size. It is dimensionless and accounts for the total amount of energy released during an earthquake.

  5. Considering the highly dynamic nature of the seismic load, it is reasonable to compare the peak of the stress history to the inert glass strength. It is assumed then that the glass strength is constant for loading times shorter than 0.01 s and equal to the inert strength, as shown in Fig. 1, even though recent results state otherwise, see e.g., Meyland et al. (2021).

  6. Fully tempered glass is omitted from the investigation due to its high residual compressive stresses limiting the damage accumulated.

  7. It should also be remembered that the threshold value of 7.5 MPa is based on the remaining residual stresses in annealed glass and should de facto be added to the value of 25 MPa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. KI Consulting Engineers, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Giuseppe Sciacca, Evangelos Katsanos & Jens Henrik Nielsen

  2. Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

    Evangelos Katsanos & Jens Henrik Nielsen

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  1. Giuseppe Sciacca
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  2. Evangelos Katsanos
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Correspondence to Jens Henrik Nielsen.

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Sciacca, G., Katsanos, E. & Nielsen, J.H. Damage accumulation in point supported glass panels subjected to earthquake excitations via a simplified stepwise approach. Glass Struct Eng 7, 661–679 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40940-022-00215-8

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