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ASTM Selected Technical Papers
Science and Technology of Building Seals, Sealants, Glazing, and Waterproofing: Sixth Volume
By
JC Myers
JC Myers
1
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
,
297 Broadway, Arlington, MA 02174
;
Symposium chairperson and editor
.
Search for other works by this author on:
ISBN-10:
0-8031-2044-3
ISBN:
978-0-8031-2044-0
No. of Pages:
164
Publisher:
ASTM International
Publication date:
1996

In seismic events, glass curtain walls undergo racking deformation, while the flat glass lites do not rack due to their high shear stiffness. If the glass curtain wall is not isolated from the building frame by specifically designed connections that accommodate relative motion, seismic racking motion of the building frame will demand significant resiliency of the sealant that secures the glass to the curtain wall framing. In typical four-sided structural silicone glazing systems used in buildings with unbraced moment frames, the magnitude of seismic racking is likely to stress the sealants significantly beyond the sealant design strength.

In this paper, the extent of the expected seismic racking motion, the behavior of the structural silicone glazing when subjected to the expected racking motion, and the field performance of a building with four-sided structural silicone glazing during the Northridge earthquake are discussed. The details of a curtain wall design concept consisting of shop-glazed subframes connected to the building frame and the connections that accommodate seismic motion of the subframe relative to the building frame is developed. Specific recommendations are made for the design of the four-sided structural silicone glazing systems for seismic loads.

1.
Design of Cladding for Earthquakes
,” Chapter 4,
Cladding
,
Wang
M. L.
,
Sakamoto
I.
, and
Bassler
B. L.
, eds., Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat,
McGraw-Hill, Inc.
,
1992
, pp. 71–87.
2.
Schmidt
,
C. M.
,
Schoenherr
,
W. J.
,
Carbary
,
L. D.
, and
Takish
,
M. S.
, “
Performance Properties of Silicone Structural Adhesives
,”
Science and Technology of Building Sealants, Glazing and Waterproofing
, ASTM STP 1054,
Parise
C. J.
, ed.,
American Society for Testing and Materials
,
Philadelphia
,
1989
, pp. 22–45.
3.
Klosowski
,
J. M.
, and
Wong
,
A.
, “
Shear Component of a Structural Sealant Glazing Joint
,”
Science and Technology of Building Sealants, Glazing and Waterproofing
, ASTM STP 1168,
Parise
C. J.
, ed.,
American Society for Testing and Materials
,
Philadelphia
,
1992
, pp. 97–105.
4.
Sandberg
,
L. B.
, and
Rintala
,
A. E.
, “
Resistance of Structural Silicone to Creep Rupture and Fatigue
,”
Building Sealants: Materials, Properties and Performance
, ASTM STP 1069,
O'Connor
T. F.
, ed.,
American Society for Testing and Materials
,
Philadelphia
,
1990
, pp. 7–21.
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