Hermes2020
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“Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se.”
― Charles Eames
Given that concrete is not as forgiving of stresses as metal, the key to making a durable concrete garden sculpture is connecting the parts in a safe way that will survive the elements outdoors for many years. In this sculpture there are two types of concrete elements: those that have orthopaedic plates at the locations of the threaded rod connectors, and those that are without plates. Each type presents a different challenge to prevent stresses on the rods from cracking the concrete around the entry and exit points of the rods.
For the parts with plates, I have devised the following connection.
Copper tubing of 22mm diameter, cut to the correct lengths, will be used as spacers between the plates. The plates are embedded firmly in the 20mm thick concrete slices and they will take the strain of the connections, not the concrete.
For the concrete elements that do not have embedded plates, I will use the same solution I used for the pool sculpture, where I did not use plates. At each connection point, a 30mm stainless steel washer will be embedded halfway in the concrete slice. For added stability, 3mm copper rods embedded in the concrete will anchor the washer securely.
Here is an X-ray of the embedded washer in the 20mm concrete slice.
There will be anchoring brackets embedded in the feet and the right knee to fix the sculpture to concrete pads buried in the garden soil.
― Charles Eames
Given that concrete is not as forgiving of stresses as metal, the key to making a durable concrete garden sculpture is connecting the parts in a safe way that will survive the elements outdoors for many years. In this sculpture there are two types of concrete elements: those that have orthopaedic plates at the locations of the threaded rod connectors, and those that are without plates. Each type presents a different challenge to prevent stresses on the rods from cracking the concrete around the entry and exit points of the rods.
For the parts with plates, I have devised the following connection.
Copper tubing of 22mm diameter, cut to the correct lengths, will be used as spacers between the plates. The plates are embedded firmly in the 20mm thick concrete slices and they will take the strain of the connections, not the concrete.
For the concrete elements that do not have embedded plates, I will use the same solution I used for the pool sculpture, where I did not use plates. At each connection point, a 30mm stainless steel washer will be embedded halfway in the concrete slice. For added stability, 3mm copper rods embedded in the concrete will anchor the washer securely.
Here is an X-ray of the embedded washer in the 20mm concrete slice.
There will be anchoring brackets embedded in the feet and the right knee to fix the sculpture to concrete pads buried in the garden soil.
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! I actually want the wider one--the ES107, but good luck honing it down to all the luck on the Earth. Ha ha.
