Elsevier Architectural Glass to Resist Seismic and Extreme Climatic Events (Woodhead Publishing Series in Civil and Structural Engineering)

Glass is increasingly being used as a structural material in new buildings and the building envelope may consist entirely of glass or a building may be clad with glass. This trend for steel-framed, glass clad buildings instead of traditional materials such as brick and concrete has inherent problems. One of the major problems is the performance of the glazing during earthquakes and extreme climatic events such as windstorms and heavy snow loads. This authoritative book reviews the current state-of-the art in glass and glazing technology to resist failure due to these natural events. Key Features: considers the state of the art in glass and glazing technology to resist failure due to extreme climatic events; reviews specific building techniques and test methods to enhance glazing performance during snow storms, wind storms and earthquakes. Contents: Building code seismic requirements for architectural glass: the United States; Glazing and curtain wall systems to resist earthquakes; Snow loads on building envelopes and glazing systems; Architectural glass to resist snow loads; Wind pressures on building envelopes; Architectural glass to resist wind pressures; Architectural glass to resist wind-borne debris impacts; Glazing systems to resist windstorms on special buildings; Test methods for performance of glazing systems and exterior walls during earthquakes and extreme climatic events.