Prototype of a Frameless Structural Glass Shell

"The Glass Dome", a frameless structural glass shell spanning 8,5 m, has been designed and built with the aim of exploiting the structural efficiency as well as the aesthetical quality that can be achieved by combining structural use of glass with adhesives as joining system. The joint, developed by the author, permits to accommodate gaps between the panes, allowing forces to be transmitted and tolerances to be adjusted. Tensile, shear and bending tests, designed and carried out under different temperatures and loading times, demonstrated the validity of such a joining system. FE parametric analyses were carried out on an imperfect shell model to verify and optimise the structural behaviour of the prototype. In the opinion of the author, the Glass Dome, being the first glass shell in the world which makes no use of metallic frames or clamping systems, will open new dimensions to glass design with its fully transparent continuous curved skin.