Load-bearing composite timber-glass wall prototype in fire conditions

The use of structural glass for load-bearing composite systems in building is increasing. Typical solutions can take the form of hybrid systems in which glass interacts with steel, aluminum or timber, under a multitude of boundary and loading conditions of technical interest. Among others, fire accidents represent a critical design condition for glass and glass composites, and require dedicated performance indicators and validation methods. In this paper, the load-bearing performance of a composite timber-glass panel for load-bearing applications is explored under the effects of sustained mechanical loads (25 kN/m) and fire exposure (standard furnace test). A pilot test is carried out on a full-scale prototype of timber-glass prefabricated module, based on conventional recommendations for the experimental assessment of constructional members in fire. As shown, its overall load-bearing performance is governed by the intrinsic properties of timber (for the perimetral frame) and glass (for the insulated (IGU) panel), that is used to cover up to 3.2×2.7 square meters of facade, with a relatively small thickness (63.52 mm IGU thickness). The fire endurance is thus addressed towards reference performance indicators for vertical load-bearing members (i.e., walls) and towards the observations of the pilot experiment.