Flexible thin-glass IGU
Design and testing of an IGU with chemically strengthened thin-glass and a flexible spacer for increasing cold bending curvature
K.C. van Deurzen (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
M. Overend – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
M. Bilow – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
W. Willers – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
This thesis explores the feasibility of constructing a flexible insulated glazing unit (IGU) using chemically strengthened thin-glass to enable higher cold bending curvatures. The research focuses on identifying optimal material combinations and structural configurations to accommodate significant deformation without compromising integrity. Both numerical modelling and physical testing were employed. In the absence of sufficient data, material properties were experimentally derived to enhance model accuracy. Strain gauges were used to validate simulations against real-world tests. Findings demonstrate that a thin-glass IGU can endure corner deformations of up to 16.3 cm, offering a performance enhancement of 4.2 times over traditional fully tempered glass units. These panels have a curvature constant of 0.112. A case study is performed to investigate how well the panels would perform in a real situation.