Accelerating the traditionally complex and lengthy calculations needed to determine glass thickness

About the customer

Based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Py-Engineering is a consultancy that specializes in developing online tools that enable engineering automation. Founded in 2021, the company has created a white label online platform that simplifies the creation, sharing and maintenance of online tools for their clients. Combining traditional engineering methods with state-of-the-art software development, the company delivers a one-stop solution for automation challenges. The company’s customers mainly come from the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. To complement its software, Py-Engineering uses Simcenter™ software, part of the Siemens Xcelerator business platform of software, hardware and services, including Simcenter Hypermesh™ software and Simcenter Optistruct® software.

Their challenge

Glass calculations according to NEN 2608 – the Dutch legal standards mainly concerning static-loaded glass – are usually performed by glass manufacturers or engineering offices using complex, expensive finite element method (FEM) software. Using this software, it can take up to eight hours to calculate safe glass dimensions that consider all possible loads, interactions and proper glass thickness and composition. Working with the complex formulas and variables needed to calculate glass thickness within NEN 2608 requires expert knowledge and experience.

Jouke Lutgendorf, Py-Engineering’s structural engineer and co-founder, wanted to make the process more accessible. To do this, he and former co-owner Mark Feijen started programming software for the complex glass calculations needed to meet NEN 2608 standards. The team saw an opportunity to use automation to significantly accelerate the complex, lengthy calculations typically needed to determine glass thickness.

When Lutgendorf heard that Bouwend Nederland Vakgroep GLAS – the Netherlands’ largest association of construction and infrastructure companies – was looking for an easy-to-use glass calculation tool for its members, he started working on an innovative online solution. Ideally, the tool would enable users to calculate stress, deformations and perform NEN 2608 checks for glass panels of all sizes. The main challenge for the Py-Engineering team was to consider the extreme complexity of NEN 2608 while standardizing and simplifying glass pane calculations so nonexperts could also perform calculations.

NEN 2608 looks at glass size, strength, materials, and weight limits.

Our solution

Important variables within NEN 2608 include a glass pane’s width and height, its supports, composition and loads, including point loads, line loads and distributed loads. To calculate these panes’ thickness faster, Py-Engineering used Simcenter Hyperstudy™ software to precalculate 80 percent of all common combinations. The calculation is performed with a parametric script and automated iterations, and the simulation results from thousands of combinations that are stored in a knowledge database. Each new calculation the user enters online is compared with the existing results and interpolated if necessary. Finally, the result can be downloaded as a PDF and includes traceable verification according to NEN 2608.

To automate the complex FEM glass calculations, Py-Engineering first created parametric scripts using the Simcenter Hypermesh preprocessor. These were then run approximately 300,000 times in Simcenter Hyperstudy using Simcenter Optistruct to populate the knowledge base with results. The data obtained from the Simcenter Hyperstudy simulations served as the basis for the Bouwend Nederland Vakgroep GLAS online glass tool. Finally, Py-Engineering used additional automation scripts in the Simcenter Hyperview™ software postprocessor to visualize the stresses and deformations of each FEM calculation. The visualizations provided graphic feedback of the calculation – such as images of the stress plot of each glass pane – and were inserted into the PDF output of the glass tool when required.

LEFT: Calculate stresses, deformations, and perform NEN 2608 checks for glass panels of all sizes.
RIGHT: Download PDF results with traceable NEN 2608 verification.

Results

By combining modern software, a knowledge database and a user-friendly interface, Py-Engineering developed a fast, intelligent tool for complex glass calculations for Vakgroep GLAS of Bouwend Nederland. The resulting tool is an automated process based on standardization, eliminating the need for manual calculations and saving users hours per calculation. The software also simplifies the serial processing (including preparation and postprocessing) of finite element analysis (FEA) calculations.

Providing technical expertise, the Siemens team helped the Py-Engineering team benefit from the automation capabilities available within Siemens software. Working together, the collaboration between Siemens and Py-Engineering resulted in a flexible, standardized solution that can also be used to optimize other products as well.

“Using Siemens solutions allows for a quicker, more detailed analysis that can give you a competitive edge over other companies,” says Jouke Lutgendorf, co-founder, Py-Engineering.