Glass is a unique material from a design standpoint and is not commonly covered in university courses in the US. Additionally, there is very little printed material that provides solid design guidance. Despite this there has been a trend towards more opacity in architecture both nationally and internationally, and there is immense opportunity for design of unique structures- small or large- made of glass. This seminar will help familiarize engineers with the underlying concepts of glass as a structural material and the basics of glass design. Because it is a brittle material and subject to spontaneous failures that may not be related to imposed stresses, glass design requires an additional thought process related to redundancy and post-breakage behavior that is not required by other materials. The design process as outlined in ASTM E1300 is also somewhat vague and does not provide appropriate guidance when designing elements more complicated than a standard window pane. Following this meeting, attendees should basic understanding of glass as structural material. |