Cast glass interlocking components
Themes: Structural Engineering, Materials
Early prototype
A TRL is a measure to indicate the matureness of a developing technology. When an innovative idea is discovered it is often not directly suitable for application. Usually such novel idea is subjected to further experimentation, testing and prototyping before it can be implemented. The image below shows how to read TRL’s to categorise the innovative ideas.
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Why?
Interlocking cast glass bricks form aesthetically pleasing, stronger than concrete, easy to assemble and disassemble (and thereby easy to recycle), fully transparent construction components for load-bearing structures.
How?
The interlocking bricks are stacked with a dry, colourless intermediate layer in between to account for size tolerances due to the production method. The casting enables thicker, more complex, and stronger components than the usual float glass.
When?
The knowledge base is being advanced by research through design to enable the application of glass in load-bearing elements. The resulting knowledge (e.g. design rules, production methods and design software), is shared with both practice and scientific community.
Ir. Faidra Oikonomopoulou