Rationalized Algorithmic-Aided Shaping a Responsive Curvilinear Steel Bar Structure

Jolanta Dzwierzynska

doi:10.3390/buildings9030061

Abstract

The correlation of the architectural form and the structural system should be the basis for rational shaping. This paper presents algorithmic-aided shaping curvilinear steel bar structures for roofs, using modern digital tools, working in the environment of Rhinoceros 3D. The proposed method consists of placing the structural nodes of the shaped bar structure on the so-called base surface. As the base surface, the minimal surfaces with favorable mechanical properties were used. These surfaces were obtained in two optimization methods, due to both the structural and functional requirements. One of the methods used was the so-called form-finding method. It wasalso analyzed the amount of shadow produced by the roof and the adjacent building complex, during a certain research period, to find the roof’s optimal shape. The structure of the optimal shape was then subjected to structural analysis and its members were dimensioned. The dimensioning was carried out for two bar cross-sections, and as the optimization criterion, the smallest structure’s mass was used. The presented research aims to show how it is possible to use generative shaping tools, so as not to block the creative process, to obtain effective, responsive structural forms, that meet both architectural and structural requirements.

Highlights

Over the years, various methodologies have been developed for shaping building objects in accordance with the current development of design ideas, building materials, as well as technologies.The basic principles of composition in architecture and construction were set by Vitruvius in The TenBooks of Architecture, in the early centuries [1]
The application of minimal surfaces brings measurable benefits in structural design since the minimal surfaces exhibit an optimal system of forces and stresses
It is an important task from an architectural and economic point of view, as the application of minimal surfaces means the use of a minimal area of claddings and the minimization of costs

Summary

Introduction

Various methodologies have been developed for shaping building objects in accordance with the current development of design ideas, building materials, as well as technologies.The basic principles of composition in architecture and construction were set by Vitruvius in The TenBooks of Architecture, in the early centuries [1]. Various methodologies have been developed for shaping building objects in accordance with the current development of design ideas, building materials, as well as technologies. On the other hand, according to the dominant concepts of modernism, the shaping of structures was based on industrial technologies, functionalism and universal models, as well as modern ways of construction and the use of new materials [2]. Over the years, the process of shaping building objects has been changing depending on the contemporary canons of beauty, materials, as well as the technological conditions. Irrespective of these conditions, the process of shaping any building object always has to be adapted to both architectural and structural requirements, which are interrelated

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Conclusion