The use of thinner sheets of glass enables the sustainable use of resources, not only in terms of materials, but also in terms of transport and installation. A core structure between two thin cover glass sheets is needed to fulfil the requirements for load-bearing capacity and serviceability.
TU Dresden presented such a thin glass composite element at the glass technology live exhibition in 2022. Two thin glass panes were bonded to a 3D-printed plastic core. This year's mock-up is the result of a collaboration between TU Darmstadt and TU Dresden. It consists of two thin glass sheets and a core made of hard paper tubes. The bond is created by negative pressure in the cavity between the glass sheets. This must be high enough to counteract any suction forces from wind and climatic loads.
By dispensing with adhesives, the composite can be easily dismantled. At the end of their service life, the individual parts can be recovered, reused or recycled by releasing the vacuum. Due to the vacuum and the low thermal conductivity of the paper cores, good thermal insulation properties can also be expected.
