advanced building skins 14 | 15 June 2012 - lamp.tugraz.at - Graz ...

3 Results of the Analysis
Advanced Building Skins
In this chapter the results of the numerical and the experimental analysis are shown and compared. For
the experimental tests (financed by the Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG and performed at the Institute of
Structural Engineering/Steel Structures of the Vienna University of Technology) different
measurement techniques were used:
Inductive displacement transducers - to measure the relative displacement between the glass
fin and the testing frame (displacement 1), the relative displacement between the glass fin and
the supporting steel bracket (displacement 2) and a potential displacement of the glass fin out
of plane;
Strain gauges – to measure the maximal tensile and compressive strain below the supporting
area;
Photogrammetric measuring system ARAMIS [5] – to measure the strain distribution in the
supporting area.
First some measured parameters from the experimental tests are shown in Table 1. The highest failure
loads were reached in the case of the trapezoidal glass fins with grout as contact material. The
maximal measured tensile stress of 147 N/mm 2 is 1,25 times higher than the characteristic tensile
strength for glass of 120 N/mm 2 mentioned in standards.
Table 1: Measured parameters for the different experimental analysed glass fins
Test specimen
Failure load
[kN]
Maximal strain
[%]
Test run – trapezoidal glass fins with grout as contact material
- 4 -
Maximal tensile stress
[N/mm 2 ]
V1M 33,9 0,19 133
V2M 35,3 0,21 147
V3M 29,8 0,17 119
Test run – trapezoidal glass fins with thermoplastic blocks as contact material
V4K 29,5 0,19 133
V5K 33,0 0,21 147
V6K 25,4 0,20 140
Test run – rectangular glass fins with grout as contact material
R7M 30,2 0,18 126
R8M 30,4 0,18 126
R9M 31,1 0,20 140
Test run – rectangular glass fins with thermoplastic blocks as contact material
R10K 24,2 0,16 112
R11K 24,8 0,17 119
R12K 23,4 0,15 105
In the next two sub-chapters the results of the analysis are separately treated for the rectangular and
the trapezoidal fins. Load-displacement diagrams, stress/strain distributions and some pictures of the
test specimens are shown.