A spectacular crystal-clear, bent bridge in cold-moulded glass with a span of 7m will make its world debut at Glasstec 2008 (21-25 Oct). The exhibit will be presented by the Seele company in cooperation with Prof. Stefan Behling & Dipl.Ing. Andreas Fuchs (IBK R&D, Univ Stuttgart) & Dr. Ing. Stefan Peters (Engelsmann Peters Ing) as part of the "glass technology live" special show. The innovative cold-bending technology enables the moulding & forming of glass with a span of 7 metres without using heat. The result is particularly brilliant surface clarity & purity coupled with maximum efficiency & safety characteristics for structural glass construction. Cold-bent glass is thus particularly suited to designing wide-span facades or roofs. Its use as a bridge proves the efficiency of the new glass finishing & opens up a world of possibilities for architects. The glass bridge, which visitors can actually access during glasstec 2008, consists of individual, four millimetre-thick, bent glass panes, each with total dimensions of only 3.7 centimetres total lamination. These material-optimized panes are joined together using a special laminating technology and, as a result, can withstand extreme stress and strain. At the broadest point the bridge measures two metres. The 1.7 tons of glass support a 7.2-ton load on a seven metre span.
