Finite Element Analysis to Point-Supported Insulating Glass Unit Bearing Properties
Ma Ying,Shi Yongjiu,Wang Yuanqing
(The Institute of Glass and Metal Structure for Architecture, Key Laboratory of Structural Engineering and Vibration of China Ministry of Education, Tsinghua U niversity, Beijing, 100084, China)

Abstract:When an insulating glass unit is subjected to a uniform lateral pressure, a complex interaction occurs among the leeward, windward plates and the air trapped inside the unit. The existing code and specification distribute the loads between the two plates according to their bending stiffnesses. Finite element method is adopted to analyze the structural behaviors of the insulating unit, and an iterative procedure is developed to permit accurate analysis of load sharing between the leeward and windward plates. The following conclusions are achieved that the load sharing result is affected significantly by the aspect ratio, in sulating layer thickness, etc., and the windward plate may carry most of the lat eral loads under certain conditions. It is suggeted that the design criterion me thod for load sharing in existing Chinese code should be modified, and the tempe rature variations should be taken into account in design process.
Keywords: point-supported insulating glass unit, insulating layer, finite element method, bearing property.