DESIGN COMPONENTS FOR STRUCTURAL GLAZING

A typical structural glazing system is composed of a number of

essential components:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Structural framing or support structure

!Glass!
Structural silicone sealant!
Compatible spacers, setting blocks and gaskets.

The specific functions and relevant concerns relating to each of

these components are:
1. STRUCTURAL FRAMING!
The design professional specifies the structural framing
members in accordance with design parameters of the building
project. The structural framing is normally fabricated from an
aluminum alloy and may be either anodized or finished with an
architectural coating.
If an architectural coating is applied, it must be done in-shop by
a licensed applicator in strict conformance with the
manufacturers specification and quality control procedures.
Anodized coatings on aluminum tend to be variable, and may
create problems for silicone adhesion if not strictly monitored.
ALL FINISHES MUST PROVIDE A SUBSTRATE TO WHICH
STRUCTURAL SEALANTS WILL ADHERE ON A LONG-TERM
BASIS.
2. GLASS
!The glass manufacturer specifies the glass type and thickness in
accordance with the specified design wind load and size
limitations made by the architect.
Glass types the glass type normally used is clear vision

glass, which may be tinted or treated with a reflective coating.

Other types of glass considered by the design professional
include: annealed, heat-strengthed, tempered, laminated, or
insulating glass.!
Considerations if the glass is treated with a reflective
coating, low E coating, or an opacifier (as with some spandrel
types), structural silicone sealant adhesion to, and compatibility
with, this coating must be verified.
If insulating glass is used, it shall be a high quality, dual-seal unit
with a silicone secondary seal in compliance with local
specification. Compatibility of the structural silicone sealant with
the insulating glass edge seal shall be verified
If the structural silicone sealant used in conjunction with
insulating glass units in an acetoxy cure type, be certain that
joint details are designed in accordance with GE Momentive
Silicones product use suggestions, as shown on details 1, 2
and 3.
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE JOINT DETAIL AVOIDS TRAPPING
THE CURE BY-PRODUCTS WITHIN THE GLAZING ASSEMBLY
IF 2-COMPONENT SILICONE INSULATING GLAZING
SECONDARY SEALS ARE USED.
3. STRUCTURAL SILICONE SEALANTS
!The sealant manufacturer recommends the structural silicone
sealant to be used in the glazing project. Although sealant
selection is made based on several factors, including: the type
of system being used, the design parameters to be met and the
requirements of the glazing contractors, ONLY HIGH
STRENGTH SILICONE SEALANTS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED
AND TESTED FOR STRUCTURAL GLAZING SHALL BE USED.
General or multi-purpose silicone sealants not specifically
designed for structural glazing should not be used. The reasons

for this are that these sealants are:

! Generally exhibit relatively low cohesive strength, a
characteristic NOT desirable in structural glazing applications;!
May allow excessive edge deflections in glass units under high
wind load conditions. In the case of insulating glass units, this
excessive deflection could result in spacer bar displacement,
the rupture of the primary seal, and premature unit failure.
4. SPACERS, SETTING BLOCKS AND GASKETS!
The glass manufacturer shall be consulted for the specific
design requirements of spacers, setting blocks and gaskets.
These requirements include factors like size, location and
hardness (Shore A durometer).
Compatibility of materials!The sealant manufacturer shall be
consulted regarding the compatibility of 1) pre-formed rubber
parts, and/or 2) materials for fabrication of these parts, with the
recommended structural silicone sealant. GE Momentive
SILICONES WILL PERFORM COMPATIBILITY TESTS WITH
PRODUCTION SAMPLES OF THESE MATERIALS.
The reason for this vital step is that these materials must not
cause a color change to the sealant. Color change indicates a
chemical reaction between the gasket material and the
structural silicone sealants. This reaction may, in the long term,
cause a complete loss of adhesion between the structural
sealant and the glass and/or metal substrates when they are
exposed to ultraviolet light.
EXPERIENCE SHOWS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MANY
ORGANIC RUBBERS SUCH AS NEOPRENE AND EPDM,
WHEN EXPOSED TO UV LIGHT CAN CAUSE COLOR CHANGE
RESULTING IN ADHESION LOSS OF THE SILICONE SEALANT
AND THEREFORE, ARE JUDGED NOT COMPATIBLE IN A
STRUCTURAL GLAZING SYSTEM.

Selection of Spacer, Setting Block and Gasket Types:!There are

two types of pre-formed spacers, setting blocks and gaskets
that can be selected, based upon the function that each part will
play.
Type I, where the silicone sealant must not adhere to the part,
such as in: 2 and 4 sided systems, where the spacer is in direct
contact with the sealant, and must act as a bond-breaker to
prevent three-sided adhesion.!Type I spacers, setting blocks and
gaskets can be made of either compatible organic or silicone
rubber. IF THE MATERIAL IS SILICONE, SPECIAL TALC IS
APPLIED TO THE PART TO PREVENT ADHESION BETWEEN
THE PART AND THE STRUCTURAL SEALANT.
Prior to installation, excess talc shall be removed by wiping, to
prevent contamination of substrates to which structural sealant
is required to bond.
Type II, where the silicone sealant must adhere to the part,
such as in:
a. FOUR-SIDED SYSTEMS, where the sealant must adhere to
the setting blocks, and!b. TWO-SIDED SYSTEMS, where the
sealant must adhere to the head and sil gaskets.
Type II pre-formed spacers, setting blocks and gaskets may be
made from silicone rubber. These products are available in a
wide range of durometer values and in selected colors. Consult
GE Momentive Silicones for specific recommendations.
DESIGN COMPONENTS FOR STRUCTURAL GLAZING

Only high strength silicone sealants, specifically designed and

tested for structural glazing, shall be used in structural glazing
applications. High strength sealants generally have high
modulus characteristics. Before defining modulus, the following
terms must be understood.

 Elastic Limit
! Stress
! Strain
! Hookes Law!
Break Strength or Stress!
Bond Line
Elastic Limit The greatest stress which can be applied to a
sealant without leaving a permanent deformation upon complete
release of the load.
Stress (Unit Stress) Load in kg (P) acting on sealant bead
divided by the area of sealant bead on which the load is acting
(A).
Stress (S) = Kg (P) / Square cm (A) = Kg / cm2
Strain (Expressed in %) Calculated by dividing the amount of
a sealant bead is extended (cm) by the original bead dimension.
Can be also called elongation.
Hookes Law States that the amount of extension
(displacement) of a sealant bead is proportional to the stress
applied.!Break Strength or Break Stress Stress (kg/cm2)
developed at point of sealant failure = maximum load divided by
the area on which the load acts.
Bond Line = Contact Area The area of sealant is bonded to
the substrate. To simplify the design calculations, the length of
the bead may be considered to be 1cm. Therefore, the contact
area = sealant width in cm (in contact with substrate) x 1 cm =
square cm of Contact Area or Bond Line.
Modulus Modulus is usually expressed in terms of stress at a
specific strain or elongation. Modulus curves for typical high and
medium modulus sealants can be shown in graph form as
follows:

To the design professional, modulus is a key consideration

because too much strain (elongation) may allow excessive
flexure, or bending of the glass, when a building is subjected to
high wind loads. With insulating glass, excessive flexure may
cause edge seal failure or primary seal rupture.!A high modulus
sealant reduces the amount of strain (elongation) and therefore,
the amount of flexure (bending) of glass. A low modulus sealant
implies high strain (elongation).
SEALANT DESIGN CRITERIA

Application of Wind Loads to Rectangular Areas: It has been an

industry standard to accept that wind loads applied to a
rectangular glass area are distributed to the structural sealant in
accordance with the conservative trapezoidal loading area as
shown below.
Contact Width: The following formula to determine contact
width is derived from the loading diagram shown above whereS = Short Dimension (m)!D = Design Wing Load (kg/m2)!P = Total
Load in Kg = {S (m) x I (m) x D (kg/m2)} / 2 (Crosshatched Area
of Figure)!CW = Contact Width (cm2)!A = Total Contact Area of
Silicones in Crosshatched area = 100 cm x CW
Maximum stress on silicone is:!P/A = ((S/2)*D)/(100 *CW)
or
P/A = (S * D)/(200 * CW)
Solving this equation for Contact Width (CW), it now follows
that:
CW = (S * D)/(200 * CW)
The accepted maximum sealant stress has been set by industry
at 1.4 kg/cm2 (0.14 N/mm2) or 0.14 (MPa). Therefore the

formula for Contact Width becomes:

CW (cm) = (S * D)/(200 * 1.4)
Knowing any of the three values, this formula can be adjusted to
solve for the third variable, i.e. Contact Width, Design Wind
Load or Sealant Stress.
S I G N I F I C A N C E O F A S A F E T Y FA C T O R

The term safety factor as applied to structural glazing is the

ratio of a sealants ultimate strength (usually in tension) to the
most commonly used design stress of 1.4 kg/cm2. Safety
factors of 5 : 1 and 6 : 1 have proven adequate since the
inception of structural glazing and are the most commonly
specified. Considering the number of variables which can be
encountered in a structurally glazed assembly and the potential
liability to all participants in the project, the higher the safety
factor the more tolerant of errors the system becomes.
Some of the variables which may affect the sealant strength
after application are:
! Sealant shelf age!
Compatibility of sealant and substrate
! Proper surface preparation (cleaning and, if required, priming)!
Applicatoin of sealant to insure proper surface contact,
avoiding are entrapment and air voids!
Proper cure time prior to the moving of factory assembled
units or removal of temporary stops in field applications
! Environmental conditions during application and cure such as
dust, wind, temperatures, rain, etc!
Batch to batch variations in metal finishes (paint or anodizing).
Any of these variables can affect the ultimate strength of the
assembly.
It is the position of GE Momentive Silicones that the highest
safety factor possible is required for structurally glazed systems.

MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

- Cleaning of glass surfaces should be performed on a regular

basis in accordance with the recommendations of the glass
manufacturer.
- All structural joinery should be inspected annually by a reliable
agency approved by the design professional and the building
owner.
During these inspections, special attention should be given to
those installations involving structurally glazed insulating glass.
Any units that exhibit evidence of the formation of condensation
within the confined air space between the glass lights should be
replaced as soon as possible. Failure to replace such defective
units may eventually impact on the structural integrity of the
system and possibly cause danger to building occupants and /
or pedestrians.
MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

The subjects covered in SECTION II: DESIGN of this structural

glazing guide are essential elements to be considered when
designing and constructing a structurally glazed curtain wall
system.
The design professional should make no distinction between the
two- or four-sided support when the design of the structural
silicone bead is undertaken. The function of the structural seal is
critical in either system. Two- sided systems require the same
degree of care in design and application as four-sided systems.