PhD about structural glass in yachts
PhD student Danie Wium publishes research paper, thanks to MULTI.engineering
Naval Architect Danie Wium relocated from South Africa to Belgium to work on his doctoral thesis on glass as a structural component in yachts, with the support of MULTI.engineering. He is set to complete his doctorate next year, but in the meantime, he has already published a valuable research paper.
"I was determined to come to Europe, but when I got the opportunity from MULTI.engineering to pursue my doctorate at Ghent University, I didn't hesitate for a second. This was what I always dreamt of. I started my PhD in 2020, and it will conclude next year. The topic is very relevant: the volume of glass in yachts is constantly increasing. For aesthetic reasons, to have more natural light, and to give passengers panoramic views of the ocean. But glass is not generally considered a structural component in a yacht, unlike aluminum or steel, for example. Therefore, my task is to develop guidelines for shipbuilders to integrate glass as a structural element in yacht construction."
The published paper investigates a segment of the upper deck of a yacht enclosed by glass, with glass panels extending from deck level to the yacht's peak. The glass panels' edges are linked to transversal portal frames. The structural response to loads stipulated by classification societies for yacht structure design was evaluated. These loads correspond to specific wave conditions expected during yacht navigation and encompass external pressures, inertial loads, and gravity. A finite element model was constructed to calculate the mechanical behavior of the structure. A parametric analysis was conducted to evaluate the behavior of simplified beam-panel connections and various glass panel thicknesses. Additionally, the utilization of the surface-to-surface contact function in Abaqus, which approximates the adhesive bonding behavior between the beams and the panels in the glass structure, was demonstrated.
The paper was published in the Glass Structures & Engineering journal and can be read in full here: https://rdcu.be/dv2Yh
