Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a Glass-to-Steel Joint

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to investigate the tensile strength of a glass pane with holes, such as that commonly used in glass-to-steel joints. Experimental tests have been conducted on a series of glass panes made of heat-strengthened and tempered glass. Since the collapse load markedly depends on the distance between the hole and the pane edge, specimens with different positions of the holes have been tested. In order to obtain reliable strength values, due to the high scatter of this quantity, five specimens have been tested for each type of pane, with a total number of 50 specimens. Interpolation curves have been proposed to predict the average failure load based on the distance between the hole and the pane edge. The experimental results have been compared with the numerical results carried out using finite-element codes obtaining good correspondence. A simple design procedure for glass-to-steel joints has then been proposed based on the evaluation of the stress intensity factor, for which some tables and interpolation functions are provided.