Analytical Fragility Curves for Seismic Design of Glass Systems Based on Cloud Analysis

Given the growing spread of glass as a construction material, the knowledge of structural response must be ensured, especially under dynamic accidental loads. In this regard, an increasingly popular method to probabilistically characterize the seismic response of a given structure is based on the use of “fragility” or “seismic vulnerability” curves. Most existing applications, however, typically refer to construction and structural members composed of traditional building materials. The present study extends and adapts such a calculation method to innovative structural glass systems, which are characterized by specific material properties and expected damage mechanisms, restraint details, and dynamic features. Suitable Engineering Demand Parameters (EDPs) for seismic design are thus required. In this paper, a major advantage is represented by the use of Cloud Analysis in the Cornell’s reliability method, for the seismic assessment of two different case-study glass systems. Cloud Analysis is known to represent a simple and immediate tool to analytically investigate a given (glass) structure by taking into account variations in seismic motions and uncertainties of structural parameters. Such a method is exploited by means of detailed three-dimensional (3D) Finite Element (FE) numerical models and non-linear dynamic analyses (ABAQUS/Standard). Critical issues and typical failure mechanisms for in-plane seismically loaded glass systems are discussed. The validity of reference EDPs are addressed for the examined solutions. Based on a broad seismic investigation (60 records in total), fragility curves are developed from parametric results, so as to support a multi-hazard performance-based design (PBD) procedure.