Stresses in Layered Glass Units and Monolithic Glass Plates

Theoretical stress analyses of thin glass plates are applied to monolithic and layered (two plates with no connection) systems to establish limits of behavior for laminated (two plates with interlayer) systems. Behaviors of monolithic and layered systems are related by a “strength factor,” which establishes a ratio between maximum stresses in monolithic systems and those in comparable layered systems. Under some conditions of geometry and lateral pressure this ratio exceeds 1.0.