The seismic behaviour of window glass panels is investigated. Glass da
mage observed in past earthquakes and previous research on the seismic
performance of glass components are reviewed, Seismic design code pro
cedures proposed for mitigating the damage sustained by glass componen
ts are evaluated. Analytical procedures are developed for calculating
the in-plane deformation capacity and out-of-plane resistance of windo
w glass panels subjected to seismic excitation. Simple practical proce
dures are proposed for the design of glass panels against earthquake e
ffects, These procedures account for the interstorey drift displacemen
ts and floor responses of multistorey buildings as well as the mechani
cal properties of window glass. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.