ABSTRACT
Primary structural glass units in façade engineering usually consist of glass plates adhesively attached to a metallic framework. The fundamental structural behaviour of the joint-glass system, which restrains the frame members, can be experimentally investigated by means of Peköz-tests. At the same time, during their lifetime, the adhesive bonds are exposed to demanding environmental conditions, such as thermal cycles, humidity and UV-radiation. Therefore, research on the durability of these connections is inevitable to be able to meet the imposed requirements. Based on available standards and guidelines, an artificial ageing schedule to study the influence of humidity and thermal cycling was proposed. The effect of humidity and thermal cycling on the mechanical behaviour of linear adhesive connections between cold-formed steel frame members and glass, using a structural silicone, was investigated. The total lateral stiffness and the strength of these connections were determined by means of the afore mentioned Peköz-tests. The comparison of the experimental results of aged and unaged specimens confirmed the capability of the considered structural silicone to maintain adhesion to glass and cold-formed steel through artificial ageing.
