All Glass Enclosure with Transparently Bonded Glass Frames

Abstract

This case study describes the path to an all glass enclosure that was recently built at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Material Research in Dresden. The idea of a fully transparent structure without distracting metal bolts or clamps was developed from the first idea to final solution in close collaboration between the client, the design team, researchers and industrial partners. Four glass frames, joined by transparent acrylate adhesives at their edges, support the outer walls and the ceiling of the glass enclosure. Regular loading scenarios as well as different failure scenarios were analysed to evaluate redundancy of the structural system. Comprehensive testing was carried out, based on previous research on acrylate adhesives.