THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF ALL GLASS STRUCTURES

摘要

In the last decade, we have seen a dramatic increase in the use of structural glass in buildings, due to increasingrninterest from architects and improvements in glass technology. The obvious reason to choose glass is because itrnis a transparent yet durable material, resistant to the effects of weathering. By using supporting glass structuresrnand frames, like beams and fins, this increases the transparency even further.rnThe paper outlines the experience gained from the design and construction of all-glass structures: from glassrnstairs and glazed roofs, with supported beams spanning up to 8.0m, to external glass portal frames that are autornstable. The information in this paper will give an insight into the design of glass structures, with particularrnreference to the methods of making connections. The presentation of design problems, and the importance ofrnworking closely with glass fabricators, is referenced to built projects where glass acts as a structural material,rnstarting with early work at Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners on annealed glass beams, then entire structuralrnframes.rnConsistency in design can be achieved more easily where there are well established codes of practice, but thernsituation with glass is that currently no international design standards exist and engineering judgment needs to bernapplied from first principles. To distribute load in glass, glass has traditionally been supported on its edges.rnMore recent advances transfer load in glass through bearing in holes, since the first application for the Yurakuchorncanopy for the Tokyo International Forum in 1996, to friction clamped connections in laminated safety glass,rnsuch as the glass cube for the Arab Urban Development Institute in Riyadh in 1998 with a 8.0m x 8.0m all-glassrnroof structure.