A Novel, Demountable Structural Glass System Out of Dry-Assembly, Interlocking Cast Glass Components

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientificpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)
123 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Cast glass components are a promising solution for engineering pure glass structures of high transparency and load-carrying capacity due to their large cross-sectional area and monolithic nature. Currently, the few realized structures employing cast glass components rely either on a steel substructure or on an adhesive of high bonding strength and typically less than 2 mm thickness, to ensure the stiffness and stability of the construction. Whereas the first solution compromises the overall level of transparency, the second results to a permanent construction requiring intensive and meticulous labour and extreme accuracy. This paper explores the potential of a novel, reversible all-glass system comprising dry-assembly, interlocking cast glass components as a promising and sustainable solution that can avoid the above-mentioned challenges. Owing to its interlocking geometry, the proposed system can attain the desired stiffness and stability with the aid of minimal, if any, metal framing. Furthermore, the suggested system circumvents the use of adhesives by using a dry, colourless interlayer as an intermediate between the glass components to accommodate any dimensional tolerances and allow for an even load distribution; moreover, it allows for the disassembly and circular use of the components. To validate the concept, different component geometries and interlocking mechanisms are developed. As a proof of concept, the most promising interlocking forms are kiln cast in 1:2 scale and assessed in terms of mechanical interlocking capacity, mass distribution, residual stress generation and ease of fabrication. In parallel, research is conducted on different materials for the dry, transparent interlayer. From the developed designs, blocks with osteomorphic interlocking mechanisms are selected as the most promising concept and are further assessed by numerical modelling to study the influence of the interlocking geometry to the overall structural performance. The results highlight the structural potential of the proposed system and demonstrate its feasibility.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the Challenging Glass Conference 6 (CGC 6)
Subtitle of host publicationInternational Conference on the Architectural and Structural Application of Glass
EditorsChristian Louter, Freek Bos, Jan Belis, Fred Veer, Rob Nijsse
PublisherDelft University of Technology
Pages71-82
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)978-94-6366-044-0
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
EventChallenging Glass 6: International Conference on the Architectural and Structural Application of Glass - TU Delft, Delft, Netherlands
Duration: 17 May 201818 May 2018
Conference number: 6
http://www.challengingglass.com
http://challengingglass.com/

Conference

ConferenceChallenging Glass 6
Abbreviated titleCGC
Country/TerritoryNetherlands
CityDelft
Period17/05/1818/05/18
OtherChallenging Glass is an international bi-annual conference that aims at gathering world class designers, engineers, researchers and industry partners to discuss on the architectural and structural use of glass.
Internet address

Keywords

  • cast glass
  • interlocking geometry
  • interlocking components
  • dry-assembly
  • glass structures
  • reversibility
  • glass connections
  • structural fragmentation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A Novel, Demountable Structural Glass System Out of Dry-Assembly, Interlocking Cast Glass Components'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this