Design of glass structures

Recommended Prerequisites

The pre-requisites of this course are those corresponding to the application for the MSc course CMM.

Teaching Methods

Lectures (30 hours) with detailed exposition, using visual aids, concepts, principles and theories and to solve some practical exercises to consolidate the acquired contents.  Tutorial lessons (37h : 30min) to clarify doubts.

Learning Outcomes

The main objectives of the course are:
1. To introduce the students to the field of structural applications of glass.
2. To give the students some specific skills for calculation and detailing of for basic glass structures: panes beams and fins,columns and walls,point-supported glass as well as for glazing systems such as glass facades,canopies and roofs,stairs and floors.
The course is conceived in order to give students the following skills:
3. To understand the material and the main parameters influencing its behavior and its structural capacity.
4. To understand the basic philosophy for glass design, for the different structural systems.
5. To be acquainted with structural glass design regulations,to be able to use them and understand its limitation and to be able to identify the situations were additional provisions are needed.
6. To understand specific features of connecting and supporting systems,and detailing used in glazing.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

History. Material properties. Production and technological features. Glass products. Building physics and construction detailing. Code regulations. Curved glass. Joints. Glass façades. Design of glass and hybrid structural elements. Design examples.

Head Lecturer(s)

Sandra Filomena da Silva Jordão Alves

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Written examination (100%) or written work with oral presentation (100%) or written examination (50%) and written work with oral presentation (50%): 100.0%

Bibliography

Haldimann, M., Luible, A., Overend, M., Structural Use of Glass, IABSE Structural Engineering Document, 2007.

KASPER, Ruth.

Tragverhalten von Glasträgern, RWTH Aachen, Aachen: Shaker Verlag, 2005

THE INSTITUTION OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS

Structural use of glass in buildings, London: The institution of Structural Engineers, 1999