A spectacular crystal-clear, bent bridge in cold-moulded glass with a span of seven metres will make its world debut at glasstec 2008 from 21 to 25 October in Dsseldorf. The exhibit will be presented …
A spectacular crystal-clear, bent bridge in cold-moulded glass with a span of seven metres will make its world debut at glasstec 2008 from 21 to 25 October in Dsseldorf. The exhibit will be presented by the Seele company in cooperation with Prof. Stefan Behling and Dipl.- Ing. Andreas Fuchs (IBK Reasearch + Development, University of Stuttgart), and Dr. Ing. Stefan Peters (ENGELSMANN PETERS Ingenieure) as part of the “glass technology live” special show. The innovative cold-bending technology enables the moulding and forming of glass with a span of seven metres without using heat. The result is particularly brilliant surface clarity and purity coupled with maximum efficiency and safety characteristics for structural glass construction. Cold-bent glass is thus particularly suited to designing wide-span facades or roofs. Its use as a bridge proves the efficiency of the new glass finishing and opens up a world of possibilities for architects. The glass bridge, which visitors can actually access during glasstec 2008, consists of individual, four millimetre-thick, bent glass panes, each with total dimensions of only 3.7 centimetres total lamination. These material-optimized panes are joined together using a special laminating technology and, as a result, can withstand extreme stress and strain. At the broadest point the bridge measures two metres. The 1.7 tons of glass support a 7.2-ton load on a seven metre span. In addition to the glass bridge, visitors to glasstec can expect a whole range of other innovations on the theme of “Glass and Energy”. In the glass technology live special show, architects, facade builders and engineers will find plenty of ideas for creative projects from the four sectors “Innovation”, “Solar technology”, “Solar protection and heat insulation”, “Light and transparency” as well as practical examples in the “Architecture projects” category. Over 50 companies will show product developments, manufacturing processes and technologies and present the latest research results. Modern production methods not only enable creative glass forms, but also extend the functional properties of glass. As a result, modern laminated glass composed of several glass layers, films and resins is also making inroads into applications which were previously the exclusive domain of steel or concrete. Innoverre GmbH & Co. KG will show glass supports, which can be used in roof construction and reach a length of twelve metres. Just how stable glass can be is impressively demonstrated to visitors on the glass bridge, constructed by industrial adhesive manufacturer Delo and Dresden Technical University (TU Dresden); at six metres long it easily supports a heavy fork-lift truck. In the area of solar technology the trade public can expect solutions which expand the photovoltaic application spectrum in terms of design. In this context, colourful solar cells or accessible modules, which can also be used as screens incorporating LED technology, will be on show. In addition, developers are attaching great importance to integrating solar energy into designs for facades and building shells, not only in order to extend the design spectrum for architects, but also to circumvent space problems caused by low or misconstructed roof areas. The Institute for Building Construction and Design (Institut fr Baukonstruktion und Entwerfen) at the University of Stuttgart will present a research project featuring thermal solar collections, which are used for energy recovery but also function as solar protection, for example in office buildings. Innovative creation in the area of energy efficiency generated by solar protection and heat insulation will also be presented by Roschmann GmbH & Co KG with the insulated glass element incorporating a fully-adjustable mechanical sun protection feature integrated between the inner and outer panes. EControl-Glas GmbH & Co. KG in turn will show electro-chromic switchable panes, which adjust to the sun“s rays thanks to electronic control. The exhibition will be rounded off by a top-ranking symposium of specialists. They will look in detail at the theme of glass and energy ranging from insulation materials through thin-film photovoltaics to heat insulation and solar protection. Speakers include Armand Grntuch from Grntuch Ernst Architekten, Erich Volz from Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Knut Gppert and Dr. Ingo Hagemann from Schlaich Bergermann & Partner. In addition, on 24 October 2008, the International Architects“ Congress under the slogan “Transparency! Glass and Facade Technology” will be held. Renowned speakers, including Lise Anne Couture from Asymptote Architecture from New York, will concern themselves with areas such as high-performance architecture, supporting glass or integrative glass facades. The congress is the recognized continuation training event for architects.