Nowadays it is a top priority in the building sector to reduce the energy use and carbon emissions. One of the most important strategies to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in buildings is by increasing the thermal performance of its envelope. To achieve this, a low thermal transmission should be established. Glazed surfaces typically account for about 30 to 50 percent of transmission losses through building envelopes. Improving these products therefore could save an significant amount of energy. Unfortunately, at the moment double and triple glazing is often applied. With each layer of glass, a substantial amount of weight is added. Because of this, the support construction is facing its mechanical limits.Therefore, this thesis focusses on designing an insulating façade system with thin glass.
Thin glass is very lightweight, but also very flexible which is unfavorable in a façade. Inspiration was found by analyzing the stiffening methods that are currently used in the glass industy. But the most suitable stiffening method was found in the industry where lightness matters most, aerospace engineering. A honeycomb sandwich turned out to be most lightweight stiffening method, while also transmitting light and increasing the thermal insulation value.
The result of this graduation project is a thin glass – aramid honeycomb – thin glass sandwich panel. In comparison to the façade of the choosen case study, the weight of the façade and the support construction is reduced substantially while providing integrated sun shading, sufficient insulation (U-value of 1.4 W/m2K) and light transmission.