A New Type of Structure: Glass Cable Truss

Abstract

The glass cable truss can be used in pedestrian bridges, glass roofs, and glass curtain walls, and its characteristics and components are introduced in this article. Model tests and finite-element analysis (FEA) were conducted to study the static working mechanism of the glass cable truss, and its static performance was compared with that of the single cable and the cross cable truss. The tests and numerical results show that the structural moment is transferred by the chord cables, the shear force is transferred by the glass web plates, and the glass web plates work as a beam when they transfer the concentrated load to the joints of the glass cable truss. Two different materials—namely, the glass web plates and cables—work in a complementary fashion. When subject to a static load, the glass cable truss works elastically and linearly, and the nonlinear deformation appears as a slip of the cable in the clamp apparatus begins. The displacement of the glass cable truss is evenly distributed, and its stiffness is good; therefore, its mechanical performance is better than that of the single cable and the cross cable truss. The fracture of the laminated armored glass could be viewed as a failure of the glass cable truss; however, although the laminated armored glass is broken, the glass cable truss maintains its load-bearing capacity, and the remaining load-bearing capacity can be used as the safety stock.