Glass sculpture

[EEEDEEE]

I'm building a glass sculpture. I use 12mm thickness pieces of broken glass and "weld" using UV adhesive/bond. Think of it like a twisting and bending ladder.

Should finish around 3-3.5m tall.

The distance from outside edges of the 2 "verticals" is about 1-1.3m. But the whole aerial footprint in cross section would be 2.5-3m. Remember, this Ladder is twisting and bending quite a bit.

There will be some additions of smaller sculptural pieces on the rungs.

Overall maximum weight would be around 175kg.

1st question:
What dimensions should the base be? HxWxD? The base will be glass as well. I would be laminating 12mm glass sections to increase the thickness of the base. I'd really like to keep base under 2 square metres. So if height has to increase to increase weight then fine.

2nd question
Would UV bonding agent be strong enough to hold this piece together / up? If so, are there brands you have had good results with? If not what else would you recommend that dries clear and can withstand the elements? It will be displayed in Venice,Italy in the summer months.

What about if installed in Toronto, Canada?

Thanks in advance.

 

[drawoh]

EEEDEEE,

I live in Toronto Canada. How about reading up on overturning moments. Is it safe for people to kick the base, or run things into the base?

Will this be located outside? How reliable is UV curing adhesive under continue sunlight?

--
JHG

 

[EEEDEEE]

Thx for your comment. The piece will be protected as part of an outdoor exhibition in Venice so there are no issues about the base in that respect.

UV "glue"is cured by the sun and the manufacturer of the one I’ve used says it can withstand rain and sun. However, they are concerned about the overall height and weight.

 

[phamENG]

You should hire a structural consultant for this to design the base. I've done it before for permanent fixtures and sculptures in parks. Even if this is temporary, the consequences while it's up are the same - the consultant just adjusts the design requirements accordingly.

 

[KootK]

If this thing has any aspect of public safety to it, I recommend engaging a structural engineer well versed in this kind of work. Someone like John Kooymans who works in Toronto:

https://www.rjc.ca/people/our-leadership/details/john-kooymans.html.

Our own member glass99 is quite knowledgeable in this space as well.

 

[EEEDEEE]

Thx. Yes, absolutely need a structural engineer for this project. I did not clarify in the original post that this is in the proposal stage. I just need to have an idea of the general footprint dimensions… not all the exact details yet. I will reach out to @glass99 and John k. Thx for the recos.

As for the adhesive/glue/bonding agent, I would appreciate some suggestions and then I will contact the manufacturer.

 

[3DDave]

It mainly depends on the exact configuration of the glass structure. Laminating glass 1m X 1m thick and 3m tall? Very likely OK. Thin glass stacked on its edges, probably a problem.

Are there other examples of the size and general assembly method you have seen?

 

[EEEDEEE]

I can glue/adhere flat 12mm or 19mm pieces together to create any thickness and do that any size necessary.

I can also build a glass box and fill with shattered glass pieces to weigh it down. At about 70kg min per cubic foot if it were solid, I would estimate around 60kg for a 1 ft cube of shattered glass. For a more accurate weight, I'd have to look into that a bit more as it depends obviously on the thickness of the pieces and how tightly they are compressed in the block.

Thanks so much.