Corrugated glass as improvement to the structural resistance of glass

Rob Nijsse, ABT, TU Delft, the Netherlands

By deforming or moulding a flat panel into a corrugated panel a great improvement in strength and stiffness is acquired. This strategy is applied to the design of facades in order to reach smaller thicknesses of structural glass elements and thereby create surprisingly shaped façade surfaces and lower building costs. A study in possible shapes is made in relation to the joints and the connecting details not only from a structural point of view but also from architectural engineering issues like water-proofing, insulating, assembling and cleaning. Two realised projects are discussed, The Casa da Musica in Porto (P) and the Museum aan de Stroom in Antwerp (B).

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