Stabilität von Tragelementen aus Glas

Stability of load carrying elements in glass The increasing demand in modern architecture for more slender and lighter structures requires the use of new construction materials. Glass, a material that has been used for a long time in windows as a filling material, has much to offer in this regard due to its very high compressive strength and transparency. For this reason, there is a growing trend to extend the use of glass sheets to load carrying elements such as columns, beams and panels. Due to their high slenderness and high compressive strength, such elements tend to fail because of instability (i.e. column buckling, lateral torsional buckling or plate buckling). At the moment little knowledge exists about the load carrying behaviour of glass structural elements, and existing design methods for other materials (i.e. steel) have been found to be unsuitable for direct transfer to the design of glass panels. With this in mind, the main objectives of the current thesis are: The study of the load carrying behaviour of glass elements which may fail due to lack of stability by means of laboratory tests and analytical and numerical models, as well as the study of the main influencing parameters. Discussion of possible design methods for glass elements which may fail due to lack of stability for the three main stability problems (column buckling, lateral torsional buckling and plate buckling) and proposition of possible aids for design such as buckling curves. The main influencing parameters (dispersion of the glass thickness, initial deformation) on the load carrying behaviour of glass elements which may fail due to lack of stability have been measured and are evaluated herein using statistical methods. The breakage stress, the thermal prestress and the effective tensile strength are defined and explained. Existing models to determine the tensile strength of glass are discussed. The column buckling behaviour of single layer and laminated safety glass is studied by means of column buckling tests, which are compared to analytical and numerical models. The models are used to study the influence of the main parameters, particularly the shear connection due to the interlayer (PVB) in laminated safety glass, on the load carrying behaviour and buckling strength of glass elements. On the basis of this study different possible design methods for column buckling of glass elements in compression are proposed and discussed. It is shown that a second order stress analysis is the most appropriate method for glass. As a further simplification, the cross section of a laminated safety glass structural element can be modelled as a monolithic cross section with an effective thickness. Analytical and numerical models for the lateral torsional buckling of glass beams are also verified by a comparison to test results. Along with a study of the main parameters, different methods to determine the lateral torsional buckling strength are discussed, and it is shown that buckling curves for lateral torsional buckling should be developed for glass beams using a slenderness ratio based on effective tensile strength. As a result of numerical simulations, recommendations for the future development of lateral torsional buckling curves of glass beams are given. The column buckling behaviour of single layer and laminated safety glass is also studied by means of column buckling tests, analytical and numerical models. It is shown that glass panels have a large post critical load carrying capacity but the way the loads are introduced into the panels, as well as the buckling shape, have an important influence on the plate buckling capacity. A design method with buckling curves using a slenderness ratio based on effective tensile strength seems applicable for the design of glass panels. As a result of numerical simulations, recommendations for the future development of plate buckling curves for plate glass elements under compression are given.

Tragverhalten und Bemessung von Holz-Glas-Verbundträgern unter Berücksichtigung der Eigenspannungen im Glas

Klaus Kreher

The construction principles of "Timber-Glass-Composite-Girders" demand practical and theoretical research to ensure reliable designs. Toward this objective the mathematical description of load-bearing and the non-rigid bond is the subject of this work, i.e. to define the contributing parameters for the design of these girders. The non-rigid-bond of the adhesive joint is of great importance because of its influence on the load-bearing of the system as a whole. The loading of girders is dominated by permanent forces thus leading to the obligation of knowing the long-term behaviour of the system and its components. The definition of the characteristic values, taking into account the long-term load-bearing, is an intrinsic part of this investigation. It can be shown that the load-bearing of the girders depends on the fracture of the glass panes. The properties of glass-fractures are a function of the residual internal prestresses due to the heat-strengthening of the panes. The load-bearing, particularly the post-cracked behaviour, changes with respect to the intensity of these internal prestresses. The timber is able to reinforce the cracked glass, leading to a ductile load-bearing behaviour as in the girders, with a dependency upon the size of the remaining fractures. A model based on the differential equations of the non-rigid bond is defined in order to calculate the loading-peaks of the adhesive joint and the material loading itself. The characteristic values of the non-rigid bond, such as the number and distances between cracks and the load introducing length, were evaluated in tests on composite slabs and small scale girders. The existing calculation models which take into account non-rigid bonding were modified to adapt the influence of the width and thickness of the adhesive joint. In order to calculate the stressing of the material the existing calculation models were adapted to calculate the post-cracked situation. The load-bearing behaviour of glass-panes bent with respect to its strong neutral axis needs other safety-considerations than panes, bent off their plane. It is shown that the existing safety considerations subject to the use of glass can not easily be adapted onto the composite girders. The bending with respect to the strong neutral axis and the reinforcement of the glass of the timber demands a different hypothesis to adapt the fractural mechanical analysis and to establish a safe limit conception. This is part of the performed research of this document. The following descriptions present briefly the obtained results: Depending on the quality of the glass (residual stresses due to heat-strengthening, e.g. annealed glass, heat-strengthened glass, fully tempered glass), the ductility and the mode of failure of the girders does change. As a result of its failure mode, annealed glass without internal prestresses offers the highest remaining load-carrying potential after the first crack has appeared. This ductility and thus the structural safety, diminishes with an increasing degree of internal prestressing due to thermal treatment. Heat-strengthened glass (with various degrees of prestressing, various residual stresses) shows a decrease in remaining load-carrying capacity with an increasing degree of prestressing until it fails in a brittle mode as fully toughened glass does. This has to be well considered in respect to safety considerations. Girders with panes made of glass having internal residual stresses due to heat strengthening below 50N/mm2 are considered to collapse ductily, residual stresses bigger than 50N/mm2 cause brittle failure. The effective stiffness of the girders decreases under permanent loads in function of the bondage. Both, timber and adhesive take part in this decrease; the influence of both of the involved materials has been defined. Since the design of conventional glass constructions which uses the concept of principle stresses cannot be adapted, unidirectional shear stresses had to be determined for the shear strength of glass, which is defined as 25N/mm2 for annealed glass. The characteristic values of the adhesive to define the non-rigid bonds have been determined, likewise the influence of the width and thickness of the adhesive joint. The load introducing length, the distances between cracks and the number of cracks are defined with tests on composite slabs. A model to describe the theoretical bond with the defined parameters based on the differential equations was developed. This model allows the calculation of the material stressing at the load introduction and on both sides of a crack. To calculate the stressing of glass and timber existing calculation models which take into account non-rigid bonding were modified to adapt the influence of the width and thickness of the adhesive joint. In order to calculate the stressing of the material the existing calculation models were adapted to calculate the post-cracked situation. The safety factors for the influences of the glass surface, environmental conditions, load duration and the parameters of fracture mechanical analysis as developed as they are known for semi-probabilistic safety concepts for glass constructions cannot easily be adopted. The bending with respect to the strong neutral axis demands a different hypothesis in order to adapt the fractural mechanical analysis and to develop the safety parameters. For the reliable design of timber-glass-composite-girders a contribution to the appropriate use of probabilistic, semi-probabilistic and deterministic safety concepts are given. A realised construction (Hotel "Palafitte" in Monruz (NE)) shows an example and the experience made in designing girders.

EPFL2004

Time-Dependent Response of Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) under Low to High Tensile Stresses

Agnieszka Ewa Switek

Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concretes (UHPFRC) are characterised by high mechanical performance, extremely low permeability and tensile strain hardening. For structural applications, in composite structures they are very well adapted for reinforcement and protection of existing concrete members. Cast in-situ, they undergo under restraint development of tensile eigenstresses at early age, which can lead in some specific cases of applications to localised macrocracking of a new layer and loss of protective function. On the other hand their tensile viscoelastic potential helps mitigate these stresses. The objective of this study was to investigate the tensile viscoelastic properties of UHPFRC at early ages and long-term in creep and relaxation tests. A large experimental campaign with tensile creep and relaxation tests was performed, with load levels ranging from 30 to 90% of the tensile strength, including creep and relaxation tests during the strain hardening phase, at two different loading ages of 3 and 7 days. Three main testing setups were used: TSTM (Temperature Stress Testing Machine), creep rigs and closed-loop servo-hydraulic testing machine with additional Acoustic Emission detection. The influence of early age evolution in mechanical response and underlying mechanisms governing this response were discussed. Linear viscoelastic models were used to analyse and to highlight on the basis of the experimental results the non-linear behavior depending on solicitation level and loading sequence. The non-linear threshold for viscoelastic response was estimated for the material loaded at 3 and 7 days. The early age mechanical response at 3 days was proportional to the load level in the instantaneous part for three stress levels tested 30, 60 and 90% of the tensile strength, and showed non-linear creep from 60% on. It was observed that for a very low stress level of 13% the creep deformation was decreasing. Relaxation tests with compensation of simultaneously monitored shrinkage deformation were performed, and showed a viscoelastic potential similar to the one observed for creep for the low load level of 30%. Incremental creep and relaxation tests were successfully performed for 3 days age specimens. For higher stress levels, the viscoelastic response from creep tests was more pronounced than in relaxation tests, which was highlighted by analysis with linear viscoelastic models. The creep response at 7 days showed that the threshold for non-linear viscoelasticity is close to 9 MPa (81% of the tensile strength) load level. The Acoustic Emission non-destructive testing method was used to get insight on the physical mechanisms involved in viscoelastic deformations. A strong correlation between AE number of events and the deformation was found, also the amplitude and energy of AE events was found to be of the same order during the instantaneous and delayed deformations. UHPFRC loaded at 7 days age in incremental test showed linear behavior until very high stress level corresponding to the hardening domain. The non-linear and tertiary creep was obtained during the last loading step, for 12 and 11 MPa respectively, which occurred in the hardening domain. The Acoustic Emission monitoring confirmed very close correlation between non-linear creep and AE cumulative number of events induced by microcracking. In order to precisely detect non-linear phenomena in incremental test, analysis with linear viscoelastic models was performed. Comparison between creep and relaxation test results showed that non-linear viscoelastic phenomena were more actively involved in creep tests. The outcomes of this research, bridging the material science and structural engineering, provide useful data to foster applications in new and existing structures, making the best use of the tensile viscoelastic potential of UHPFRC.

EPFL2011

Monitoring and modelling of construction materials during hardening

Marco Viviani

During the past decade, the science of concrete behavior has made much progress and many useful results are now incorporated in technical codes such as those governing mix design, quality of mix and post pouring verification. The stage of Very Early Age (VEA) concrete begins with pouring and ends with hardening. Behavior at this stage influences safety and durability of structures. Concrete is a cast-in-place hardening material. Other hardening materials, such as epoxy mortars have recently raised interest. Techniques used for concrete can potentially be applied to these new composite materials. The overall objective of this thesis is to develop a methodology for predicting mechanical properties and for separating important phenomenon in hardening materials, such as commercial concrete and mortar, to be ultimately applied in real time and in situ. A literature survey has shown a lack of knowledge in the areas of measurement techniques at VEA, prediction of compressive strength, separation of the autogenous deformation and values for the thermal expansion coefficient. This lack of knowledge is especially clear for cement-based materials hardening at varying temperatures. Few VEA data are available and few tools are capable of monitoring VEA parameters. A new device has been constructed to monitor deformations and help identify phenomenological contributions to the total deformation. The design of this device takes into account aspects such as usability in the field and reliability in practice. More than 80 embedded fiber optic sensors and 100 specimens were used for development and testing. Several special sensors have been designed and tested so that their features are adapted to the characteristics of the hardening material at VEA. An important part of this work has been the development of procedures where VEA data are interpreted and reduced in order to determine the parameters that describe the evolution of the degree of reaction, as well as mechanical properties, and allow for the decoupling of values for the total deformation into parts that are related to different physical phenomena. Concluding, this methodology allows accurate prediction of the compressive strength evolution in term of degree of reaction using VEA data carried out within the first 72 hours of the hardening material life. The methodology also leads to straightforward determination of values for the thermal expansion coefficient and the separation of values for autogenous and drying deformation. Furthermore, pilot testing on epoxy mortar demonstrates that the methodology is not limited to cement-based materials Finally, the results of this thesis have the potential to make further contributions to scientific research and to strategies for quality control and safety during construction.

EPFL2005