Saw-Tooth Connectors for the International Exhibition and Documentation Center: Topography of Terror, Berlin

The initial idea of high-capacity saw-tooth connections was to enable the highly concentrated transmission of large forces between steel members – such as the main cables of suspension bridges – and slender concrete slabs. Several bridges were built since 1990 making use of saw-tooth connections and yet a considerable amount of research work has been carried out. Based on the experiences with the saw-tooth connections used on bridges for 'Topography of Terror' a tubular saw-tooth connection was developed. It consists of two telescoped toothed tubes. The teeth of the inner and outer tube do not interlock but allow for adjustment of the prefabricated concrete elements. After the adjustment the clearance between the inner and outer teeth is grouted to build a rigid connection and to brace the whole building. The arising bending moments of the Vierendeel trusses are transmitted by torsional forces in the tubular saw-tooth connectors.