Glass, known for its transparency and widespread use in various building applications, is gaining prominence in load-bearing structural components. The distinctive combination of aesthetic appeal and structural potential is driving innovation in architectural and engineering design, thereby expanding the role of glass beyond its traditional applications. However, the brittle nature of glass presents a significant challenge, particularly with the design and implementation of joints in structural glass elements.
This paper focuses on transparent adhesive-bonded joints in glass structures, with particular attention to the influence of elevated temperatures on adhesives and the shear load-bearing capacity of bonded joints. Furthermore, the effect of the wettability of floated glass on bonded joints is also discussed.
Experimental research findings on transparent adhesive bonding are presented, featuring pilot tests on two adhesives, Loctite® EA 9455 and Epox® G300, each with distinct viscosities, applied to samples made of standard soda-lime-silica float glass. The shear tests were carried
out at room temperature and elevated temperatures of 40 °C, 60 °C and 80 °C. The results demonstrate that the behaviour of bonded glass-glass assemblies is significantly altered in a narrow temperature range proximate to the adhesive glass transition temperatures.
This research highlights the importance of selecting adhesives with suitable thermal and mechanical properties for load-bearing glass applications. Stiff adhesives, while offering higher initial strength, induce localized stress concentrations that raise the risk of glass failure. Conversely, ductile adhesives promote more uniform stress distribution but exhibit reduced load-bearing capacity at elevated temperatures. These insights are crucial for advancing the design of bonded transparent structural joints, particularly in high-temperature environments where balancing stress resilience and thermal stability is essential.
