Klett-TGA - Development of Hook-and-Loop fastener - Applications for technical building equipment

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

The Hook-and-Loop fastener is omnipresent in many fields today. Its potential lies in the astonishing strength of bonds, which can in addition be loosened and re-fastened tool-free for several hundred times without compromising their strength and durability. Astonishingly it is far from utilizing its full potential in the construction industry although its properties would be intensified if transferred to the construction processes and could have a variety of positive effects. Commonly the building installation lines (such as electricity, water or ventilation, to name just a few) are walled-in, screwed, or glued at the construction site. Would these instead be assembled and mounted using the Hook-and-Loop similar fasteners, the following effects with corresponding consequences could arise: ‐ Simplified assembly processes: They would decisively accelerate the construction phase of a building and would additionally be less prone to performance-related quality deficiencies. ‐ Flexible mountings and adaptability: They would enable the building to react to shortnotice planning changes as well as to adapt to a new spatial program more efficiently. ‐ Damage-free mountings - both for the base and the component to be mounted: They would enable a pure separation of materials. The possibility of easy re-use of specific components could prolong the component’s in-use phase of the lifecycle, which would contribute to sustainable usage of resources. Despite the obvious benefits, the usage of Hook-and-Loop fasteners at the moment requires an additional working stage, where the surface of the base as well as the component to be mounted must be treated in order to achieve a Hook-and-Loop compatible skin. This additional stage usually requires the known fastening methods and is not an integral part of the construction process. Therefore the aim of this exploration study is to explore a possible systematic change that will allow for a more universal application of Hook-and-Loop (or similar) fasteners in the construction industry, especially in building installation phase. It is to be investigated to what extent Hook-and-Loop compatible surfaces can be integrated into the production of components. These could serve as a base whereupon following building installation lines (but also e.g. final surfaces and thermal insulations) could be directly mounted: Either with their own integrated Hook-and-Loop compatible components or with the aid of Velcro based measures. In doing so, the exploration study will not be restricted to the consideration of a single material or trade, its aim is rather to establish the widest possible scope of consideration. The evaluations will uncover potentials that could evoke further and more product-specific research projects.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/10/1730/09/18

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