Análise estrutural e de viabilidade de fachada em vidro estrutural

Abstract

The present work presents the study of a facade option with approximately 154m² of area that uses structural glass as its executive material based on the characteristics of a span, 10m high by 15.44m wide, found in an existing facade present in a mall at the city of Fortaleza. In addition, this work depicts the characteristics and properties of the different types of glass, as well as some considerations that must be accounted when working with this kind of material. Initially, a data survey was executed about the glass availability within the intern market and some technical limiters intrinsic to it, in a way that would justify the parameters that were used in the calculations. Then, the calculations to identify the loading to which the elements of the structure were going to be submitted took place, using the Plate Theory and the Finite Element Methods through the RFEM 5 software and its additional module, RF-GLASS, on them to validate its resistance. Tests were realized using the software to validate deformations and internal stresses in the facade in terms of its panels in contact with the exterior. Then, the values of the support reactions found for the validated panel were applied to the glass fin that endures the loading of the structure, testing it for deformations and internal stresses to validate it. Finally, with the results obtained and within the hypotheses assumed, the enhancement of the glass fin was made searching for options that generated minor waste of material, delivered a more attractive aesthetic result and passed security to the users who saw it. Based on the analysis, it was understood that the structural glass facade design is feasible and can be applied, recommending some laboratory tests to improve the connections of the glass fin and some parameters of the software to guarantee a more economic result for the project.