Experimental and numerical studies on the mechanical behavior of metallic connecting pieces in point-supported glass facades

Abstract

Point-supported glass façades (PSGFs) have a wide application in gymnasia, airport terminals, and commercial buildings to achieve excellent balance between aesthetics and functionality. As the crucial components of PSGFs, the mechanical behavior of metallic connecting pieces directly impacts the security and stability of facades. This paper concentrates on the axial mechanical behavior of non-linear metallic connecting pieces used in PSGFs based on static and quasi-static tests. The effects of spider dimension, spider arm shape, and routel type on the mechanical behavior of connecting pieces are considered. Then, the refined finite element numerical models are established to perform parametric analyses. Results indicate that the spiders with cylindrical arms possess the most excellent load-bearing capacity, but the routel type has no effect on the bearing capacity of metallic connecting pieces. The deformation of test specimens under axial tensile load can be characterized by three stages, while just two stages under axial compressive load. There is no stiffness degradation of metallic connecting pieces under cyclic load, and their poor energy dissipation capacity in earthquakes can be inferred from the shape of load-deformation curves. Then, the stress distribution on the spider arm surface is obtained through theoretical calculation, so as to determine the most unfavorable section position of the spider arm under axial load. Finally, the simplified mechanical models of metallic connecting pieces under axial load are established according to their deformation features, which can be used for the numerical analysis of the point-supported glass facades.