Pre-Stressed Curtainwall Panels for Higher Transverse Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional curtainwall panels face challenges in achieving increased stiffness to transverse loads without increasing thickness or weight, leading to difficulties in handling, transportation, and storage, as well as higher material and space requirements.
Innovation Solution
A pre-stressed plate or shell structure is created by elastically deforming a panel from a non-planar shape into a flatter configuration, generating membrane tension and compression to enhance stiffness, while reducing thickness and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of panels is increased to increase transverse-load stiffness, then the transverse-load stiffness is improved, but the weight and space requirements for transportation and storage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is pre-stressed into a configuration of membrane tension before being installed in the curtainwall unit. This preliminary action of applying membrane tension increases the transverse-load stiffness of the panel without requiring increased thickness or weight, thereby resolving the contradiction between stiffness improvement and weight increase
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the stress state parameter of the panel by pre-stressing it into membrane tension. This parameter change (from unstressed to pre-stressed state) fundamentally alters the mechanical properties of the panel, enabling increased stiffness without increasing thickness or weight
2Strength
If the number of panels layered together is increased to share load, then the transverse-load stiffness is improved, but the weight and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of stacking multiple panels, the invention applies a preliminary action of pre-stressing the single panel into membrane tension. This pre-stressing action distributes and shares the load across the entire panel surface, achieving the stiffness improvement of multi-panel construction while maintaining the ease of handling single-panel construction
3Strength
If the overall size or clear span of panels is reduced to increase stiffness, then the transverse-load stiffness is improved, but the space requirements for transportation and storage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary pre-stressing action to the panel, which fundamentally changes its mechanical behavior. This allows the panel to maintain high stiffness even at large sizes and spans, eliminating the need to reduce panel dimensions to achieve stiffness requirements, thereby reducing transportation and storage space requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The pre-stressed structure exhibits improved transverse stiffness, reduced material usage, and lower weight, facilitating easier handling and storage, and potentially lowering costs through material conservation.
Implementation Method 1
A pre-stressed plate or shell structure is created by elastically deforming a panel from a non-planar shape into a flatter configuration, generating membrane tension and compression to enhance stiffness
Implementation Method 2
The first panel comprises a first region pre-stressed into a condition of membrane tension, resulting in the panel having increased transverse stiffness
Implementation Method 3
The first panel may further comprise a second region pre-stressed into a condition of membrane compression
Data Source
AI summary
A pre-stressed structure and a method for forming a pre-stressed structure are provided. The pre-stressed structure comprises a panel including a first region pre-stressed into a condition of membrane tension, resulting in the panel having increased transverse stiffness. The pre-stressed structure may further comprise a second region pre-stressed into a condition of membrane compression. The panel may be a plate or a shell and may form part of an insulating glass unit, which in turn may form part of a curtainwall unit.