Design principles to use brittle material glass for resilient facades

There is almost no facade without glass, glass as transparent material brings light and energy in buildings. Glass is known as brittle material, in case of failure – which occurs suddenly without warning – it shows no residual strength. Using the right glass products and appropriate design principles, robust and redundant facades can be constructed. Special attention is needed for details of structural design: small deviation in support conditions can have critical effects and penetrating water has a high potential of internal damage – often effecting energy performance and lifespan of structure. Using photovoltaic elements, a contribution for energy performance is possible.

The paper gives an overview of different glass products including interlayer types, their appropriate bearing methods and principle of design. Examples of built facades for new buildings show challenging applications.