Thin glass instalation

Abstract

Glass structures have been dominating in the architectural world for the past decades, unveiling the material’s structural potential. Advancements in glass manufacturing and post-processing techniques have not only led to innovative applications but also resulted in the development of unique glass products. Aluminosilicate glass exhibits superior strength and flexibility compared to the commonly used soda lime glass, due to its distinct composition and manufacturing process. This enables the production of ultra-thin glass with thicknesses as low as 25 μm, giving rise to the category of "thin glass" encompassing any glass below 2 mm in thickness.
Thin glass has found applications in industries such as automotive and electronics due to its unique properties, including optical clarity, scratch resistance, durability, flexibility, and reduced weight. In architecture, the evolving design vocabulary embraces complex geometries and the integration of curved panels, offering clear structures that provide exceptional optical clarity and blend seamlessly with their surroundings. Thus, thin glass holds potential for creating complex, lightweight, and transparent architectural structures.
This research addresses the limitations of thin glass in construction and explores optimal bending techniques to maximize its capabilities. The methodology comprises a literature review of the glass industry, design principles, and an in-depth study of thin glass properties. This study culminates in the establishment of design guidelines and a computational approach to assist the design process while using cold bent thin glass. After investigating the available and most used design and structural simulation software, the ones found more accurate are integrated in the process.
The findings highlight the successful development of a computational method that provides tools, design principles, and guidelines for working with single curved cold bent thin glass panels. Additionally, the research examines suitable connection types for thin glass projects and concludes with a proposal for a hinge clamp connection. A case study showcases the proposed workflow, leading to the creation of a prototype utilizing a 3d-printed based approach of the suggested connection design.
The conclusions emphasize the significance of the integrated computational design workflow and its implications for architectural design using thin glass.