Abstract

In the last century the role of glass in architecture has changed: from an infill panel to a load bearing element. Toughening and lamination processes produce a stronger and more reliable material. However, the strongest glass currently available is chemically toughened which does not break safely. An ideal toughened glass would have the high strength of chemically toughened glass (CTG), and a safe fracture pattern, typical of fully toughened glass (FTG).

An attempt of combining these two toughening methods was performed in 1968, but it has not been followed up since. A new glass, toughened both chemically and thermally, therefore called bi-toughened glass (BTG), has been produced. The objective of the current research program is to determine mechanical properties of BTG , and to evaluate and model how the latter vary with different production inputs. This presentation will show the first stage of destructive tests, the related analysis carried out and the possible paths to follow up to obtain a stronger and more reliable material.