In glass and facade constructions, elastic thick layer bonds are used to join glass panes to metal adapter frames and glass support elements. This joining technique is referred to as Structural Glazing (SG) or Structural Sealant Glazing (SSG) and is realized as a line-shaped, load-bearing bond using silicone adhesives, or adhesive tapes. The available technical guidelines (for example, ETAG 002) do no longer adequately reflect the state of the art at two critical levels. Firstly, they impose restrictions on the application, and, secondly, dimensioning specifications available in the technical guidelines are not applicable to modern, large-area facade constructions. This paper summarizes selected findings of a recently finished research program. Two silicone adhesives were experimentally characterized as bulk material and bonded specimens. The main focus of the experimental campaign was set on the investigation of the load-bearing capacity of bonded specimens of different geometries, load directions, and temperatures. These results allowed to set the basis for the developed stress-based design concept, which concludes this paper.