The research focuses on the combined use of thin glass and a 3D printed spacer pattern. The goal is to design a possible solution to use thin glass in architecture.
In the first part of the thesis background research on thin glass, additive manufacturing, adhesive bonding and structural geometry is conducted. This has lead to results to formulate the criteria for the design. Important is that the pattern used in is printed continuously without support material and has enough surface area to deal with the shear stress when bended.
To start the design process, three topologies are presented on which later designs are based. Those topologies are a straight extruded surface pattern, a lattice member structure and continuous pattern with cut-offs. Based on those topologies five designs are made from which the straight extruded Voronoi pattern is the one to continue with in the design because it scores the best on the criteria mentioned above.
The Voronoi pattern is used in a several strategies which developed into the strategy which used gradient mapping based on a structural analysis to create a Voronoi pattern to represent the structural shape. Thereby also the Voronoi pattern based on LLoyd’s algorithm is tested since it presents the possibility to create a more evenly spread Voronoi pattern.
To validate the results from the design strategy, FEA is used for five four side supported panels, five two side supported panels, two panels based on Lloyd’s algorithm and three lab test specimen. Those panels are analysed on deflection, principal stresses and shear stress. To make them comparable they translated to a value so they all represent the same amount of used material. The results of the analysis show a increase in resistance against deflection of 4,8% in the two side supported panels and 2,7% in the four side supported panels.
For three of the panels is a lab specimen prepared. Those panel have a size of 300 x 150 mm and will be used in three point bending test in the lab.
To conclude the research a final mock up with size of 1210 x 660 mm is built and will be placed in the window of the existing Product Development test lab at the TU Delft. Also is the panel used in a case study for the PD test lab. A facade redesign is made to demonstrate how the panel based on Lloyd’s algorithm can be used as a facade element.