Flexural–torsional buckling: Experimental analysis of laminated glass elements

• Buckling experiments are performed on laminated glass columns.
• Effects of load eccentricity are experimentally, analytically and numerically investigated.
• Influence of imperfections, temperature, time-loading on their buckling response is analyzed.
• Viscoelastic numerical models provide good correlation with test results.
• Equivalent thickness approaches can be used to correctly predict the critical buckling load.

Buckling failure is a common condition of collapse for structural glass elements typically characterized by high slenderness ratios. Due to a combination of multiple mechanical and geometrical aspects, the effective buckling resistance of glass load-carrying elements is complex to predict, especially in presence of laminated cross sections or interacting applied loads. In this work, buckling experiments are performed on laminated glass beam-columns having rectangular cross section and subjected to combined uniaxial compression and bending. Extended numerical and analytical comparisons with test results are performed. As shown, a general good agreement is found between experimental results and existing prediction models.