Numerical research on stiff adhesive point-fixings between glass and metal under uniaxial load

Adhesive point-fixings are being used more frequently because of their numerous advantages compared to traditional bolted connections, such as a better load introduction, the absence of drilled holes in the glass, and increased thermal performances. With this research the mechanical behaviour of adhesive point-fixings between glass and metal under uniaxial load is investigated numerically. By supporting the model pivotally along a circumference equal to six times the diameter of the fitting, the entire connection is investigated. Up to now, only the adhesive layer has been studied, without bringing the influence of the stiffness of the glass panel into account. With a finite element method (FEM) a numerical model is validated by experimental results. A complete validated model is gained by performing the experiments for five different geometries with a relatively stiff adhesive. The obtained FEM model is then used to study the influence of geometrical parameters, such as the connection’s diameter and glass thickness, and material parameters, such as the adhesive modulus of elasticity, on the mechanical behaviour of adhesive point-fixings under uniaxial load. The maximal occurring stresses in the glass panel and adhesive layer will increase with a decrease of the connector diameter, the glass thickness and adhesive thickness, and with an increase of the adhesive stiffness. Furthermore, the maximal deformation of the glass panel can be reduced by increasing the glass thickness and adhesive stiffness, and by decreasing the connection diameter and the adhesive thickness.