GB2201183A

GB2201183A - Explosion-resistant glazing

Info

Publication number: GB2201183A
Application number: GB08803740A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Heinrich Salzer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-02-20
Filing date: 1988-02-18
Publication date: 1988-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 2008-02-18
Also published as: DE8702597U1; DE3705401C2; DE3705401A1; GB8803740D0; GB2201183B

Abstract

An explosion - resistant glazing system for panels 10 comprises frames which consist of one or more webs 11 to which flanges 12, 13 are connected and in which flange 12 arranged on the inside of the building is supported by way of damping elements, for example in the form of zig-zag shaped sheets (19), or deformable tubes (29 Figure 2 not shown) against a static part S of the building. Upon an explosive impact or attack, deformation of the damping element absorbs a considerable proportion of the energy resulting from the explosive attack and directed against the panels 10, whereby the danger of destruction going therebeyond into the structure of the building is considerably reduced. In a further embodiment (Figure 3 not shown) springs (39) are mounted between the frame and the static part. In the embodiments of Figures 4, 5 (not shown) H shaped frames have damping elements clamped within their flanges <IMAGE>

Description

A FRAME PIECE OR BAR FOR PLATE-SHAPED PANELS OF A BUILDING This invention relates to a frame piece bar for plate-shaped panels of a building, said panels being, for example, in the form of glazing units.

These glazing units are to be enclosed or bordered by frame pieces or bars which consist in each case of a profile or section combination with which an edge strip of at least one panel can be enclosed in a U-shaped manner.

Connected to a web or crosspiece lying opposite the end face of the panel are flanges which engage over the panel on the outside of the building and on the inside of the building. At least one of the flanges is connected releasably to the web.

Such frame pieces and bars are generally known and fulfil in various embodiments the functions respectively allotted to them. Thus, the frame pieces or bars can be composed in a simple manner from individual component parts to form various section combinations, in order to receive glazing units or other plate-shaped panels.

The known frame pieces and bars are, however, not suitable for ensuring adequate protection against explosive impacts. Whilst panels, such as laminated glass panels, which adequately inhibits explosive action are available and even withstand attacks on them triggered by means of adhesive charges, weak points arise in the protection by reason of the panel enclosures. The forces acting on a panel, which forces are frequently pressure waves and act by reason of recoil effects alternately in opposite directions, are transmitted to the frame pieces and bars and can tear these out of their anchorage to the building. It had to be ascertained that the effects of an explosive impact are all the more devastating the more resistant is the panel and the more rigid is the connection thereof to the building.

From DE-OS 30 45 833 a glazing made of compound or laminated glass which inhibits explosive action is already known which is said to be distinguished by improved resistance to explosion pressures. For this purpose, at least two laminated glass units are arranged at a spacing from one another, with an air gap therebetween, and are in each case surrounded by a closed frame made from steel sections which are L-shaped in crosssection. In this respect the limb, extending into the visual surface, of the frame is arranged on the side remote from the explosive action. Between the inner surfaces of the steel frame and the glass top surfaces there is a gap of at least 10 mm, which is filled with a permanently-elastic plastics material having a specific Shore hardness.

The explosive action inhibition achievable with this known construction is attributed on the one hand to the use of a closed steel frame made of steel section portions welded together and having a comparatively large cross-section around the laminated glass unit and on the other hand to the arrangement of a resilient intermediate layer between the frame having high strength and the pane of laminated glass.

Apart from the compulsory requirement of having to provide several laminated glass units at a spacing from one another, more especially the necessary closed steel frame made of steel section portions welded together is bound up with considerable production expenditure and can, for transportation and assembly reasons, also be pre-fabricated only in very limited dimensions. In addition to this, the steel sections which are-L-shaped in cross-section and whose limb extending in each case into the visual surface is to be arranged on the side averted from the explosive action do not take into account the recoil effect, occurring in the case of an explosive impact, of a pressure wave.If the glazing were to consist of only one laminated glass unit, the recoil effect might be sufficient to free the relevant building opening completely in the case of an explosive attack.

From DE-GM 86 05 068 there is also already known a floating double or multiple glazing which consists of at least one outer and one inner glazing and at least one glazing section. The glazing section is intended to enclose in a U-shaped manner at least one glazing at least in parts in its edge region, in which respect the enclosed glazing does not completely fill the depth of the section, so that an empty space remains. Furthermore, the inner glazing section is, in this respect, supposed to have an S-shaped cross-section, in which respect in one U-curve of the S-shaped cross-section a glazing is intended to be situated and in the other Ucurve a panel section made of a non-compresible material is intended to be situated.

This construction, too, is conceived for a double or multiple glazing and guarantees inhibition of explosive action only insofar as frame- and bar- parts as a result of comparatively sturdy cross-sections are in a position to absorb without deformation the forces transmitted from the glazing.

The problem underlying the invention is to produce a frame piece or a frame bar of the type described at the beginning hereof from a profile or section combination which allows great forces resulting from an explosive impact or attack to be absorbed without deformation, even if the individual component parts of the section have comparatively weakly dimensioned cross-sections.

In solving this problem the present invention provides a frame piece or bar for plate-shaped panels of a building, comprising a section combination with which an edge strip of at least one panel can be enclosed in a U-shaped manner, in which respect connected to a web which lies opposite the end face of a panel are flanges which engage over the panel on the inside of the building and on the outside of the building and at least one of which flanges is connected releasably to the web, characterised in that the flange arranged on the inside of the building is provided on its side facing the interior of the building with at least one deformable damping element by way of which the section combination is supportable against a part of the building.

As a result of the flange, arranged on the inside of the building, being supported by the damping element on its side facing the interior of the building, the entire section combination is given a compliant mounting, so that forces acting against the panel or the frame piece or the bar can indeed displace the panel with the section combination but cannot destroy it. Upon the displacement, the damping element is compressed and absorbs to that extent a large proportion of the forces occurring upon an explosive attack. The forces acting on the building can be absorbed without danger by the relevant parts of the building, especially since these parts are, for building-static reasons, sufficiently stably designed and positioned.

Thus, for example, a facade facing built up from plate-shaped panels and frame pieces and bars in accordance with the invention can be supported as a whole as a safety curtain by way of the deformable damping elements against the relevant parts of the building.

The damping element can consist of a plastically deformable sheet of zig-zag, or undulatory, or honeycomb shape, or of plastically deformable tubes arranged parallel side-by-side, or elastically deformable helical springs or leaf-spring sets distributed over the length of the flange, or of at least one rubber-elastic plastics section extending over the length of the flange.

Damping elements made from plastically deformable sheets which are a zig-zag, or undulatory, or honeycomb shape are particularly cheap and can be fixed in a maintenance-free manner in a slightly biassed state without additional aids between the relevant flange and the building. Plastically deformable tubes which are arranged side-by-side have the advantage that they can also be used as pipes for flowing media, for example for heating purposes, or also a ducts for the accommodation of supply leads.Elastically deformable helical springs or leaf-spring sets have the advantage that they can be differently biassed within a comparatively wide range depending on the respective requirements and can thus also undertake compensating functions if, for example, unevennesses in parts of the building should complicate the flat arrangement of the plate-shaped panels of a facade. However, damping elements in the form of rubberelastic plastics sections can be advantageous since these can, for example, be mounted on the relevant flange of the section combination upon the prefabrication already in a particularly simple manner.

The section combination advantageously has two webs arranged parallel side-by-side in the plane of the panel, each web being provided with two flanges and being fixable to the flanges arranged on the inside of the building by a fastener which engages over the mutually facing edge strips of the flanges and which is boltable to the building.

This section combination makes possible a particularly simple fitting since the flanges arranged on the inside of the building, and in each case connected undertachably to a web, can, along with interpolation of the damping elements, be fixed by the fastener to the relevant part of the building, whereupon the plate-shaped panels are inserted and are held in the conventional manner by the flanges on the outside of the building which then can be fastened releasably to the webs. In this respect, the flanges on the outside of the building can be connected to the webs by screws and be encased by covering strips which can be clipped onto the flanges.

From the mutually facing edge strips of the flanges arranged on the inside of the building there can emanate covering sections by which a gap, receiving the damping elements, between the flanges and the building can be covered. The fastening part, the flanges on the inside of the building, the relevant part of the building and the covering sections can all form closed chambers for the accommodation of the damping elements so that these can be fully protected without also being visually intrusive.

Advantageously, grooves are provided on the mutually facing halves of the flanges arranged on the outside of the building, these grooves being for the reception of the longitudinal edges of an elastic sealing section which bridges a gap between the flanges.

With the elastic sealing section, the flanges arranged on the outside of the building form a continuous barrier for the region between two panels arranged side-by-side or one above the other in the panel plane, so that even atmospheric influences and the like cannot have an effect on this region.

The two webs of the section combination can also be formed by the limbs of a U-shaped section part, the limb edges of which merge into the flanges arranged on the inside of the building. This reduces the number of component parts of the section combination and is very advantageous more especially when emanating from the building part is at least one anchor piece protruding between the limbs of the U-shaped profile part and at least one screw bolt aligned in the panel plane extends through appropriately aligned bores in the limbs and in the anchor piece.

The anchor piece can be, for example, in the form of an elongate flat steel bar which is welded on one longitudinal side to a steel support which is part of the building in such a way that its plane is aligned perpendicularly to the panel plane. Equally, however, also anchor pieces can be formed from individual flatsteel pieces which are arranged at intervals from one another and for the rest be welded in the same way as a continuous anchor piece extending over the height of the steel support.The U-shaped section part can be connected in a simple way by screw bolts to the anchor piece extending between the webs of the section combination, whereupon the panels are inserted, which are held by means of a continuous flange which can be screwed securely on the outside of the building against the web of the U-shaped section part and which thus at the same time covers the neighbouring edge strips of two panels.

The section combination can consist of an exchangeable web, to which a respective flange arranged on the inside of the building and on the outside of the building is connected, in which respect the flanges are connected to the web by a screw bolt which is aligned perpendicularly to the panel plane and which can be screwed into a threaded bore in the building.

With this design which requires only a few individual section parts, section combinations for different panel thicknesses can be assembled by exchanging the web.

The two flanges can intermesh telescopically with the inserted web and can be held together by the screw bolts aligned perpendicularly to the panel plane.

If elbowed edge strips of the flange arranged on the inside of the building form, with webs emanating from the building, a chamber the volumne of which is variable telescopically, this is suitable in a very advantageous manner for the protected accommodation of the damping elements, without hindering in any way whatsoever their ability to function.

Advantageously at least one flange is- provided, on its side averted from the panel, with at least one damping element which is covered by a pressure plate and the section combination is held together by screw bolts which are distributed at intervals over its length and which are aligned perpendicularly to the panel plane.

This design is, in the case of the arrangement of the section combination, independent of correspondingly arranged rigid parts of the building which have to receive, by way of damping elements, the flange which is arranged on the inside of the building. Instead, the web of the section combination can be rigidly connected directly, or by way of an intermediate section indirectly, laterally to the reveal of a building aperture, without thereby frustrating a displacement of the flanges with the panel in accordance with the deformability of the damping elements.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows in cross-section a first preferred embodiment of the section combination of the invention, fastened to a rigid support being part of a building, consisting of two webs each with two flanges; Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but shows a second preferred embodiment of the section combination, likewise fastened to a rigid support but in a different way, consisting of two webs, formed by a U-profile, with an external common flange; Fig. 3 is similar to the previous figures but shows a third preferred embodiment of the section combination consisting of a web and two flanges, in which respect one flange embraces by means of an edge strip protruding parts of a static support.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of the previous figures but of a fourth embodiment of the section combination fastened by a web by way of an intermediate section to the reveal of a building aperture; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of previous figures but of a fifth embodiment of the section combination fastened by a web directly to the reveal of a building aperture.

The section combination shown in Fig. 1 serves for the U-shaped bordering of neighbouring edge strips of two panels 10 consisting of armoured glass or the like and composed of two glass units. The section combination is composed of two double-T-shaped section groups which are designed in mirror-inverted manner and which are arranged side-by-side in the panel plane. Each section group consists of a web 11, to which on the inside of the building a flange 12 is securely welded and to which on the outside of the building a flange 13 is releasably fastened by means of screw bolts 14 arranged at intervals over the length of the section. In this respect, arranged between each web 11 and the releasable flange 13 is a respective insulating part 15 of, for example, PVC or another material which is limitedly deformable under pressure.Grooves 16 are arranged on the releasable flanges 13 in such a way that, as a result of an elastic sealing strip 17 which is inserted therein, a gap between the flanges 13 can be bridged.

By providing a fastener 18 which engages over the mutually facing edge strips of the flanges 12 arranged on the inside of the building, damping elements in the form of plastically-deformable zig-zag-shaped sheets 19 are pressed against a static support S.

As a result of this design and arrangement, the entire section combination is held compliantly against the support S representing a rigid part of the building, so that in the event of an explosive impact on or attack against the panels 10, or directly against the section combination, the latter can yield limitedly with the panels 10. In accordance with the energy of deformation expended in this respect for the sheets 19, the effects arising from the energy released as a whole upon an explosive attack and directed towards the panels 10 and the section combination are reduced.

The section combination shown in Fig. 2 likewise serves for the U-shaped enclosing of neighbouring edge strips of two panels 20 made of armoured glass or the like. The section combination has in turn webs 21 which are different from the webs 11 of Fig. 1, in that they are formed from the limbs of a substantially U-shaped section part 26.

At their edges facing the building the limbs forming the webs 21 merge into flanges 22, whilst the edges of the webs 21 which are remote from the building are connected together by a web 27 which supplements the U-shape of the section part 26. A continuous flange 23 which covers the neighbouring edge strips of the panels 20 is releasably fastened to the section part 26 by screw bolts 24 (only one of which is shown) distributed at intervals over its length. In this respect, arranged between the web 27 and the flange 23 is an insulating part 25 made of a material which is limitedly deformable under pressure.

As a result of an anchor piece 28 which is welded onto static pillar S, the section combination is held with a screw connection on the building. Between the support S and the flanges 22 is a damping means in the form of plastically deformable tubes 29 arranged parallel side-by-side in close sequence and aligned with their longitudinal axes in the longitudinal direction of the section combination. In the event of an explosive attack, the section combination with the panels 20 can yield in accordance with the deformation of the tubes 29.

The section combination shown in Fig. 3 serves in turn for the U-shaped enclosing of neighbouring edge strips of two plate-shaped panels 30 and consists of a box-shaped web 31, which is let partially into a flange 32 arranged on the inside of the building and into which web 31 extend adjoint-pieces of a flange 33 arranged on the outside of the building. The web 31 can consist of PVC and serves virtually so to speak as a distance piece of the flanges 32 and 33. Screw bolts 34 arranged at intervals over the length of the section combination and penetrating the web 31 and the flanges 32 and 33 hold the section combination together. The screw bolts 34 extend on the inside of the building beyond the section combination and are screwed into a statically desired supporting post S serving as part of the building.

This is provided with two webs 35 which are aligned with the section combination and which are enclosed telescopically by elbowed edge strips 36 of the flange 32.

Arranged as damping elements in a chamber 37 formed in this way between the supporting post S and the flange 32 are spring sets 39 which can be adjusted by the screw bolts to a specific bias. The webs 35 arranged on the supporting post S and the edge strips 36 arranged on the flange 32 are so dimensioned in the perpendicular direction with regard to the panel plane that the distance bctwccn the cnd faces of the webs 35 ald tllo f le, lying opposite to these, of the flange 32 corresponds with the distance between the end faces of the edge strips 36 and the side, lying opposite to these, of the supporting post 36. As a result of this dimensional correspondence, the possibility emerges for a large variation in the volumne of the chamber 37 with the most minimal space requirement for the chamber 37 in the normal state.

Differing from the previously described embodiments, the section combination shown in Fig. 4 serves for the U-shaped enclosing of only one plate-shaped panel 40, which is composed of a pane of armoured glass and a pane of insulating glass and can of course also consist of other pane combinations or of an appropriately resistant single pane.

The section combination is composed of a web 41 into which is let flanges 42 and 43. Screw bolts 44 (only one of which is shown) arranged over the length of the section combination keep the flanges 42 and 43 connected to the web. On that side of each flange 42, 43 which is remote from the panel 40 the flanges 42 and 43 are provided with rubber-elastic plastics parts 49 which serve as damping elements and which are held in the prepressed state against the flanges 42 or 43 respectively by pressure plates 45 which are designed in a sufficiently stiff manner. For this, the screw bolt 44 penetrates the pressure plates 45, of which the one associatedwith the flange 43 is provided with a threaded bore, whilst the head of the screw bolt 44 is pressed against the pressure plate associated with the flange 42.

Associated with the web 41, on the side thereof remote from the panel 40, is an intermediate section 46 made of a square tube, by way of which the web 41 butts against a reveal of a building aperture. By means of fasteners 47, which consist of screw bolts distributed at intervals over the length of the section combination, the web 41 is fastened with the intermediate section 46 rigidly to the building whereas the flanges 42 and 43 with the panel 40 are displaceable in accordance with the deformability of the rubber-elastic plastics parts 49 in opposite directions perpendicularly to the plane of the panels 40.

The section combination shown in Fig. 5 differs from the one shown in Fig. 4 substantially in that a web 51 butts by way of an intermediate layer 58 directly against part of the building and a flange 52 arranged on the inside of the building is shortened at the building reveal side, whilst a flange 53 arranged on the outside of the building butts against the edge region, on the building side, of the building reveal.

On their respective side remote from a panel 50, the flanges 52 and 53 are provided with rubber-elastic plastics parts 59 and 59', which are held by respective pressure plates 55 or 55' against the flanges 52 or 53 respectively. Screw bolt 54 serves for the holding together of the section combination, in which respect the flanges 52 and 53 with the panel 50 are displaceable in accordance with the#deformability of the rubberelastic plastics parts 59 and 59' in opposite directions perpendicularly to the plane of the panel 50.

Claims

1. A frame piece or bar for plate-shaped panels of a building, comprising a section combination with which an edge strip of at least one panel can be enclosed in a U-shaped manner, in which respect connected to a web which lies opposite the end face of a panel are flanges which engage over the panel on the inside of the building and on the outside of the building and at least one of which flanges is connected releasably to the web, characterised in that the flange arranged on the inside of the building is provided on its side facing the interior of the building with at least one deformable damping element by way of which the section combination is supportable against a part of the building.

2. A frame piece or bar as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the damping element consists of a plastically deformable sheet which is a zig-zag, or undulatory, or honeycomb shape or is in the form of plastically deformable tubes arranged parallel sideby-side, or is in the form of elastically deformable helical springs or leaf-spring sets distributed over the length of the flange, or in the form of at least one rubber-elastic plastics part extending over the length of the flange.

3. A frame piece or bar as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the section combination has two webs arranged parallel side-by-side in the plane of the panel and each provided with two flanges and is fixable to the flanges arranged on the inside of the building by a fastener which engages over the mutually facing edge strips of the flanges and which is screw boltable to the building.

4. A frame piece or bar as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that emanating from the mutually averted edge strips of the flanges arranged on the inside of the building are covering sections by which a gap, receiving the damping elements, between the flanges and the part of the building can be covered.

5. A frame piece or bar as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that provided on the mutually facing halves of the flanges arranged on the outside of the building are grooves for the reception of longitudinal edges of an elastic sealing strip which bridges a gap between the flanges.

6. A frame piece or bar as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the two webs of the section combination are formed by the limbs of a U-shaped section part the limb edges of which merge into the flanges arranged on the inside of the building.

7. A frame piece or bar as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that at least one anchor piece protruding between the limbs of the U-shaped section part emanates from the part of the building and at least one screwbolt aligned in the plane of the panel is passed through appropriately aligned bores in the webs formed from the limbs and in the anchor piece.

8. A frame piece or bar as claimed in claims 6 and 7, characterised in that fastened releasably to the web of the U-shaped section part on the outside of the building is a continuous flange which covers the neighbouring edge strips of two panels.

9. A frame piece or bar as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the section combination consists of an exchangeable web to which is connected a respective flange arranged on the inside of the building and on the outside of the building and in that the flanges are connected to the web by a screw bolt which is aligned perpendicularly to the plane of the panel and which can be screwed into a threaded bore in the part of the building.

10. A frame piece or bar as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that elbowed edge strips of the flange arranged on the inside of the building form, with webs emanating from the part of the building, a chamber the volumne of which is variable telescopically for the reception of the damping elements.

11. A frame piece or bar as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one flange is provided on its side remote from the panel with at least one damping element which is covered by a pressure plate and the section combination is held together by screws distributed at intervals over its length and aligned perpendicularly to the plane of the panel.

12. A frame piece or bar as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the web of the section combination laterally butts directly, or indirectly by way of an intermediate section, against the reveal of an opening of the building and is connectable to the building by fastening means distributed at intervals over the length of the profile section.

13. A frame piece or bar for plate-shaped panels of a building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1, or in Fig. 2, or in Fig. 3, or in Fig. 4, or in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.