RELATING ARTIFICIAL WEATHERING TESTING TO SERVICE LIFE ESTIMATION OF ACRYLIC FOAM STRUCTURAL GLAZING TAPE SYSTEMS

摘要

Structural adhesive bonding of exterior glass panels (structural glazing) is increasingly used in building construction because it affords designers greater architectural freedom than conventional mechanical fastening systems. There are now adhesive systems that have demonstrated their ability to effectively and reliably perform in long-term exterior applications. Conventional structural glazing methods of bonding glass panels to a metal frame have utilized either one-part or two-part structural silicone sealants. More recently beginning in 1990, select acrylic foam tapes have been successfully used in thousands of buildings globally as the bonding adhesive for this application. The design criteria for glass panel bonding applications require adhesive systems that maintain their functionality for greater than 20 years in actual field installations. Effective test methods are needed to evaluate the durability and develop service life estimations of these glass bonding adhesive materials. In principle, it is necessary to test to failure in order to do service life modeling. For systems designed for long-term durability, testing to failure can impose practical difficulties. This paper provides a basic overview of acrylic foam structural glazing tapes and the current laboratory weathering test procedures used to specify structural glazing bonding systems and will compare the stresses provided by these test protocols to those expected in example field applications.