Glass canopies for the office center of the DZ Bank in Berlin

Dr. sc. techn. Rudolf Hess, Structural engineer ETH/SIA/M.ASCE, Glasconsult, structural engineering of glass

A building located on the “Pariser Platz” in Berlin, was designed by the famous architect Frank 0. Gery and completed in 1999. Covering the main entrance is an interesting glass canopy measuring a total length of 14.30 meters and a cantilever of 1.50 meters without any support structures such as girders or hangers.

This paper, including an introduction about the building, describes the construction and the structural analysis of the glass canopy and the complicated attachment devices. A special analysis was performed to ensure that, in the case of failure of all the glass sheets, the remaining structural glass would be supported only by the PVB layers. The impact tests, carried out on an actual canopy in order to obtain the “declaration of consent” from the authorities of Berlin were very successful; they are described in detail.

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The Authors

Dr. Rudolf Hess Dr. sc. techn. Glasconsult, Structural Engineering of Glass Rudolf Hess received his civil engineering degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ETHZ in the field of construction of water power station. The PhD was reiceived from the same... Read more