The effect of the loading system on the modulus of rupture of a rectangular glass plate

Abstract Strength determination of rectangular float glass plates is commonly carried out by standard tests. Different standards include different requirements of the specimen geometry, loading set up, sample size, etc. It is known that the modulus of rupture depends on the specimen’s area. This paper shows that it is also dependent on the loading system, and the dominating parameters affecting the experimental modulus of rupture are investigated. The loading system significantly affects the modulus of rupture and this finding raises a question with respect to the testing guidelines appearing in different standards and the experimental results thereby obtained.