Despite advancements in glass facade systems and rigorous building codes requirements, glass façades often sustain damage or breaches during extreme wind events. This study aims to establish a framework that identifies a multitude of characteristics in common glass façade systems that may contribute to performance of a buildings with glass facades during natural wind disasters. Through a comprehensive analysis of damaged structures, common characteristics susceptible to damage after such events were identified. These characteristics served as a catalyst to explore other characteristic that may affect the performance of a structure's facade during extreme wind events. The identified characteristics were categorized into three groups: architectural components, structural components, and environmental. Proposed quantifiable methods aim to obtain qualitative measurements of existing glass facades. In the end, this thesis contributes to the broader goal of understanding the performance of glass facades during extreme wind events. / Master of Science / Despite advances in building design and construction standards, glass on buildings remain vulnerable to damage during severe windstorms. This study aims to develop a system that identifies key factors that contribute to a building's glass façade system during natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. By analyzing data from damaged structures, common characteristics were identified that are prone to damage during extreme wind events. These findings have led to explore other factors that may impact a facade's performance in such situations. These factors were categorized into three main groups: architectural features, structural elements, and environmental considerations. The proposed methods obtain a numeral value that is measured from existing structures. Ultimately, this research aims to improve the understanding of glass facades from challenges posed by severe weather events.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/119363 |
| Date | 07 June 2024 |
| Creators | Soto, Axel |
| Contributors | Civil and Environmental Engineering, Arul Jayachandran, Monica, Munoz Pauta, David Fernando, Jones, James R. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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