Maximum Transparent Barrel-Vaulted Glass Roof

Barrel-vaulted glass roofs can be used for a wide range of buildings, such as shopping arcades and railway stations. In many cases, these structures consist of a series of steel arches with glass panes in between, leaving the structural capacity of glass untapped. For this reason, a new glass structure has been developed, providing maximum transparency with a minimum amount of steel. This has led to a structure with small connections, fully integrated into the glass, as well as clear, transparent joint fillers. Finite element analysis and a full-scale test has been performed, showing PVB- laminated glass with a total thickness of 30 mm could be sufficient to create spans up to 20 meters. Barely visible prestressed cables, measuring just 3 mm in diameter, are applied to stabilize the structure.