A study about the structural and thermal performance of large glass masonry façade

There are already lot of glass structures, using big size elements that prove that glass is a strong material that can compete the other more conventional building materials. However, the use of solid cast glass bricks glued with a transparent UV cured adhesive is not common and it is first utilized in the façade of the Crystal House in Amsterdam, designed by MVRDV and Gietermans & Van Dijk (the project is under construction by the time that this report is written). The structure is exclusively constructed by monolithic glass blocks, bonded with a colorless, UV-curing adhesive, obtaining thus a maximum transparency. In contrast with other structural systems that used solid glass bricks in the past, the desired structural performance is achieved solely through the masonry system, without any opaque substructure. In the present design, there is an attempt of exploring the structural and thermal potentials of this new technology, by studying them in a 4 times bigger scale than the one in P.C. Hooftsraat. It provides an elaborated research of the integrated architectural, structural and thermal design and discusses the choice of materials, structural solutions, passive and active measures. The structural verification of the system is enhanced by experimental tests about the structural and thermal integrity of the glass brock system. More specifically, compression and four point bending experiments demonstrate the required monolithic structural performance of the glass block-adhesive assembly. All specimens failed in the glass; no delamination occurred. At the same time, an elaborated architectural and structural design in the interior of the building with the use of only structural glass elements is illustrated in the research. Apart from the bigger scale of the glass brick façade compared to the one in Amsterdam, a challenge in the research is the innovative approach of the construction of the column. There are two slender columns in the design that are made by glass bricks glued with the transparent adhesive as in the façade. The results show that the adhesively bonded glass block structure has the required self-structural behavior, but only if strict tolerances are met in the geometry of the glass blocks. The connections between the two materials (glass and concrete) as well as between the cast and float glass have been structurally calculated accompanying by 3d impressions. Finally, several thermal simulations of different scenarios in the design of the building in three different climate zones (Amsterdam, Valencia, Tampere) are given, showing the importance of the application of passive measures in order to improve the thermal performance and increase the sustainability value of the design. At the end of this report, alternatives in the design are given in order to stimulate future research on this new, lot of promising technology. Undoubtedly, there are still lot of potentials to be explored. Contact info: vania.gatsiou@gmail.com

Subject

structural glass
solid glass brick
UV-curing adhesive
glass connections
soda-lime glass
glass masonry
transparency
passive measures

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Student theses

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master thesis

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