Structural glass research
Research conducted by Marcin Kozłowski, prof. at SUT, focus on issues related to glass structures in which glass is considered as structural material, dynamic loads and behavior of glass at elevated temperature and in fire conditions.
Soft body hit against the glass panel
Research on the issues related to the safety of glass elements is extremely important, because in modern solutions glass plays a structural role and transfers all the loads resulting from design standards to the same as other building materials, e.g. steel.
Thermal cracking of the glass
Cracking the glass structural elements may result from their overload, as well as due to the temperature gradient that occurs during e.g. a fire or uneven heating of the glass. The conducted research consists in annealing glass panes of different thickness and determining the cracking time after exposure at the pane. Numerical analyzes are conducted at the same time to explain this phenomenon.
Composite wood and glass beam
The use of glass and wood for the construction of structural elements allows for a synergistic combination of the properties of these materials: the stiffness and strength of glass and the tough destruction of wood. The tests were carried out in order to prove the load-bearing capacity of the composite wood-glass beam, as well as to test the beams under fire conditions.
Project LIDER XI (NCBR)
The anticipation of the negative consequences resulting from the characteristics of the material is the subject of another research project by Marcin Kozłowski, prof. at SUT. Research on "Innovative solutions for point-mounted laminated glass with increased critical load-bearing capacity" will be financed by the National Center for Research and Development under the LIDER XI program in 2021-2022. The project's budget is PLN 932,606.25. The tests are aimed at increasing the load capacity and ensuring the safety of use, among others glass balustrades on balconies and terraces or glass roofs installed over the entrances to buildings. The post-critical condition is the operating condition of an element made of laminated glass, in which one or two pane is cracked (fractured). Such elements should be safe for users in an uncracked condition, as well as in a critical condition within a specified time, in order to enable the evacuation of building users, as well as to protect the accident site. Research by Marcin Kozłowski, prof. at SUT, will cover the preservation of cracked glass as well as full-size elements. The project will use unique experimental research as well as innovative numerical methods.
The new knowledge will raise the awareness of glass producers and assembly companies in the field of this type of solutions. Additionally, it will help to improve the quality of their products and services. End users, i.e. building users, will also benefit from the project, as the glass elements will be safer and their behavior more predictable. Structural glass is a subject rarely undertaken by universities or scientific institutions in Poland and in Europe. The project is very ambitious, but more importantly, if the results are positive, it has a good chance of being put into practice.
