Structural load-bearing silicones have been used worldwide with great success. Due to the lack of understanding of the load-bearing behaviour of silicones under tensile stress with constrained transverse strain, adhesive joints with these geometries must not be used. Through systematic research at the Institute of Statics and Design at the University of Darmstadt, the load-bearing behaviour of structural silicones was comprehensively analysed within the dissertation by Michael Drass. His new developed material model precisely reproduces the load-bearing behaviour for silicones even for arbitrary geometries. Glas Trösch actively supported this research work by supplying numerous test specimens. Through further extensive tests, Glas Trösch was able to demonstrate within the framework of the German “SWISSRAILING FLAT” approval that the applicability of the novel material model is given for specific structural silicones. The “Nelder-Drass material model” additionally was supplemented by a design concept. Therefore Glas Trösch can design any geometries for structural bonded joints and use this specific knowledge for products and projects.
The article shows which steps were necessary to transfer the findings of the research work into a product with a general approval in Germany. In addition, further application examples are explained where the new verification method can be used.