Structural Optimization through Biomimetic-Inspired Material-Specific Application of Plant-Based Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites (NFRP) for Future Sustainable Lightweight Architecture.

Timo Sippach,Stefan Carosella,Peter Middendorf,Benjamin Grisin,Kai Uhlig,Hanaa Dahy

doi:10.3390/polym12123048

Abstract

Under normal conditions, the cross-sections of reinforced concrete in classic skeleton construction systems are often only partially loaded. This contributes to non-sustainable construction solutions due to an excess of material use. Novel cross-disciplinary workflows linking architects, engineers, material scientists and manufacturers could offer alternative means for more sustainable architectural applications with extra lightweight solutions. Through material-specific use of plant-based Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites (NFRP), also named Biocomposites, a high-performance lightweight structure with topology optimized cross-sections has been here developed. The closed life cycle of NFRPs promotes sustainability in construction through energy recovery of the quickly generative biomass-based materials. The cooperative design resulted in a development that were verified through a 1:10 demonstrator, whose fibrous morphology was defined by biomimetically-inspired orthotropic tectonics, generated with by the fiber path optimization software tools, namely EdoStructure and EdoPath in combination with the appliance of the digital additive manufacturing technique: Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP).

Highlights

The constant adaptation to social influences and to environmental constellations are important factors to consider when planning contemporary architecture
Man-made influences on building culture have always been passively influenced by climatic environmental conditions
The aim was to further investigate the applicability of Tailored Fiber Placement in the field of architecture and how the material-appropriate application of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites (NFRP) can contribute to structural optimization and increase the sustainability level as once indicated using another material development in architecture from the same

Summary

Introduction

The constant adaptation to social influences and to environmental constellations are important factors to consider when planning contemporary architecture. Man-made influences on building culture have always been passively influenced by climatic environmental conditions. The architectural language of form is constantly evolving, and innovative design processes are developed. The cradle to grave paradigm, which is often applied by the building industry, is based on a raw Polymers 2020, 12, 3048; doi:10.3390/polym12123048 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers. Man-made influences on building culture 2020, have12,always the Polymers. 3048 been passively influenced by climatic environmental conditions.

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