Comparison of curved glass and cold bent panels

Graham Dodd, Arup Materials Consulting & Sebastian Thieme, Technical University of Dresden

A number of façade design projects for recent buildings have involved creating gentle curves, warps or twists in economical and visually pleasing ways. Cold bent glass has been considered as an option in each case, with the common concerns being structural integrity, fixing method, durability and warranty for laminated glass and insulating units.

The present case study included a single outer skin of laminated annealed curved glass composed of cylindrical bends with large radius, and a cold bent alternative was proposed. Studies were carried out into the stress in the glass, the stress in the proposed structural
silicone glazing, and the resulting form of the glass. Physical models were also used to explore the effects indicated by computer modelling. The details of these studies are presented. It had not been anticipated that the cold bent glass would deviate as far as it did from the desired cylindrical form and the distribution of reactions through the structural silicone glazing on the curved edges alone was found to be unworkable.

The design consequences of using cold bent glass would have included adding mullions to the vertical joints between panels and using a heat treated glass for each pane of the
laminate. Hot bent laminated annealed glass was procured to a detailed specification to control the form and visual quality.

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The Authors

	Mr. Graham Dodd Associate Director Arup Materials Consulting Trained in manufacturing industry and qualified as a Mechanical Engineer, Dodd has worked in the design of glass structures and facades since 1988; initially with Pilkington Glass and since 1994 with ... Read more
	Mr. Sebastian Thieme Scientist Technische Universität Dresden Sebastian Thieme studied civil engineering at RWTH Aachen and developed a special interest in glass design during his work as a student assistant for Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sedlacek at the Institute of Steel ... Read more