Adhesive bonding of glass to concrete
Researchers:
- Sahand Sartipi
- Roman Wan-Wendner (supervisor)
- Jan Belis (supervisor)
Description:
In the past decades, the recent changes in modern architecture have resulted in more demand for transparency in buildings. As a result, the use of Glass both as a load-bearing component and non-structural element has increased substantially. The brittle nature and low tensile properties of glass impose a number of challenges in the design of glass structures. Any connection involving glass must be designed in a manner to compensate for its lack of ductility. Installation of glass by means of mechanical connections using metal components has been thoroughly investigated in the past. Mechanical connections such as friction grip and bolted connections can be commonly found in glass facades and balustrades. These connections, however, create stress concentrations in glass, often require drilling, and disrupt the continuity of the glass surface. Adhesives have seen tremendous growth during the last two decades in various fields including automotive and aerospace engineering. Adhesives facilitate the bonding of different materials with good workability and versatility. With more research conducted every day, other fields including the construction industry have been slowly adopting adhesives as a structural component, especially for composite structures. In the past, adhesives have been investigated in glass-glass and glass-metal bonding with promising results for both structural and non-structural applications. The different chemical nature and low surface energy of concrete present a number of challenges in the bonding of glass to concrete. Additionally, the effects of long-term creep and shrinkage of concrete on an adhesive connection with brittle material need to be investigated. This project aims to establish a novel system for the direct bonding of glass to concrete using adhesive systems. Adhesives provide a uniform stress distribution throughout the bond area, do not require any drilling of the glass surface, and provide better aesthetics by providing a smooth and uninterrupted surface for glass. Among others, the project will look into the bonding of glass to concrete for glass facades, creating a hybrid structural element of glass and concrete.. This project will provide a working system for the adhesive bonding of glass to concrete.