Large glazings need increased stiffness for the load-bearing. Usually this is realised with thicker glass structures. Therefore an increase in dead load of the glazing is a decisive factor for dimensioning the substructure. However, the architects and engineers wish is to enlarge the span of glazings and in-crease the transparency by still using slender structures. This leads to an extended study on the possible reduction of dead-weight by using a combination of thin glass and stiff interlayers in lami-nated glass. A numerical model for laminated glass focusing on the potential use of shear action including the effects of time and temperature was developed. To validate the model and quantify the performance of stiff interlayers, the Institute of Building Construction at the Technische Universität Dresden together with Kuraray Europe GmbH evaluated the load-bearing behaviour of laminated glass with different interlayers during a full-scale experimental investigation in a facade test-rig.