A New Type of Structure: Glass Cable Truss
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 20, Issue 12
Abstract
The glass cable truss can be used in pedestrian bridges, glass roofs, and glass curtain walls, and its characteristics and components are introduced in this article. Model tests and finite-element analysis (FEA) were conducted to study the static working mechanism of the glass cable truss, and its static performance was compared with that of the single cable and the cross cable truss. The tests and numerical results show that the structural moment is transferred by the chord cables, the shear force is transferred by the glass web plates, and the glass web plates work as a beam when they transfer the concentrated load to the joints of the glass cable truss. Two different materials—namely, the glass web plates and cables—work in a complementary fashion. When subject to a static load, the glass cable truss works elastically and linearly, and the nonlinear deformation appears as a slip of the cable in the clamp apparatus begins. The displacement of the glass cable truss is evenly distributed, and its stiffness is good; therefore, its mechanical performance is better than that of the single cable and the cross cable truss. The fracture of the laminated armored glass could be viewed as a failure of the glass cable truss; however, although the laminated armored glass is broken, the glass cable truss maintains its load-bearing capacity, and the remaining load-bearing capacity can be used as the safety stock.
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Acknowledgments
This research was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Numbers 51278117, 51125031, and 91315301; by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University under Grant Number NCET-13-0120; by Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Impact and Structural Safety in Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, under Grant Number JSKL2011ZD01; and by a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 20 • Issue 12 • December 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 28, 2014
Accepted: Oct 21, 2014
Published online: May 7, 2015
Discussion open until: Oct 7, 2015
Published in print: Dec 1, 2015
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