Predictability and Performance of High Strength Epoxy Glue Glass Asssemblies

Abstract

‘Reflexions’ is a 12m high, 4.6m deep, and 4.6m wide, sculpture conceived as a 3D glass scaffolding. Its ambition is to be modular and be easily assembled and dismantled, with connections that are designed to be fixed on-site. The scaffold consists of 1195 laminated glass bars each capped with an annealed epoxy embedded stainless steel connector, to marry to 313 star shaped nodes. This paper describes the cutting-edge epoxy bond and the process of the assessment of its capacity, through calculations and testing. The fully assembled structure has high redundancy and challenges the structural predictability of isostatic structures typically used in glass design. Even minor deviations in this kind of structure can result in multiple different outcomes, with different load distributions leading to higher local stress concentrations. The details and assembly process are designed to reduce the sensitivity to these different outcomes. For that, all possible eccentricities, and imperfections due to either fabrication, manufacturing, or erection on site have had to be analysed, physically tested, and reduced to a minimum. Involving extensive testing and manufacturing knowledge, this paper will focus on the design methodology of the project, examining how predicted behaviour both in the setup of the calculations and in the design of the node was controlled. The aim is to share knowledge on how to stay within the necessary risk margins and avoid unpredicted outcomes for glued connections.