Glass in Compression Leads to Panels without Holes

The structural design of three structures using toughened glass sheets in compression to act as load-bearing shear walls is described. In each case a strong, transparent facade is achieved without the need to make holes in the glass sheets. For small projects it is often not economic to make holes in the glass to allow suspension from above in a curtain-wall system. It is better to use the glass in compression as a simple stack to carry the self-weight directly down to the foundation. The stack can then also be used as a shear wall to carry sway loads acting on the building. In order of completion date and scale three projects in Japan are described: a shop enclosure screen, a dental surgery, and a seminar hall façade.