Topological Interlocking (TI) is a modular historic construction method of covering large spans with standardized components without connectors. The concept has now been revisited, following recent developments in parametric methods, resulting in algorithms ca...

Connection nodes are usually the costliest elements of gridshells because of their geometrical complexity. Their fabrication might be significantly simplified if they have no geometrical torsion. Literature has therefore focused on developing geometrical struc...

The plate-column joint (PCJ) is a kind of typical semi-rigid joint improved from traditional plate joint and has larger bending stiffness. The influence of the geometric parameters of the joint on its bending stiffness and the stability of its semi-rigid retic...

In the field of façade design and engineering, the tensegrity structural principle may be utilized in pursuit of flexible, lightweight, and adaptable building envelopes. Depending on their geometry, tensegrity structures can form planar or nonplanar grids suit...

Based on the reduction rate of the total strain energy of the structure after the members are removed and the standard deviation of the change rate of the member’s strain energy, this paper proposes an ISE (Improved Strain Energy）method to evaluate the impor...

The relationship between the geometry of structures and their structural action is perhaps best understood using stress functions. In 2 dimensions the force in a pin jointed truss member is a discontinuity in slope or 'fold' in the Airy stress function surface...

In architectural structural design, particular attention is given to shell structures that can carry their own weight under gravity through in-plane stresses alone, without bending action. These are known as membrane shells. Their shapes are obtained by solvin...

Gridshells and shells are geometrical objects that must comply with mechanical and manufacturing constraints. Being funicular, and having planar panels (for discretized structures) is a combination of constraints often searched and studied in the literature. T...

This paper investigates the generation and utilization of Isothermic Surfaces (IS), which are distinguished by their unique geometric properties of admitting conformal and conjugate patches, or CC-patches. These properties facilitate planarity of faces, orthog...

This paper explores how geometric optimisation can simplify the design and construction of gridshell structures, making them more efficient, fabricable, and adaptable to circular construction principles. While freeform structures often require customised compo...

Thin-shell hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar) umbrellas have been widely used in architecture and structural art for their aesthetic appeal and structural efficiency. However, their reimagining as novel tubular structures can offer unique opportunities for creating...

Bistable kirigami greatly simplifies the deployment of traditional kirigami materials and has attracted interest in reconfigurable components, impact buffering, and soft actuation. However, existing bistable kirigami configurations are limited, with low deploy...

An old proverb says, ‘Your land was not given by your parents but by your children’. Today, we are offering a world in a worse state than when it was given to us. How can we, experts of shell and spatial structures, contribute to alleviating current and future...

Bending-active inflated shells represent a novel class of lightweight deployable structures, typically composed of modular inflatable cushions combined with auxiliary cables and cross-bracing. Their global behavior relies on a self-erecting mechanism in which ...

This paper presents examples of geometric classifications of free-form surfaces in the imaginary parameter space of an initial morphogenesis technique based on Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), i.e., DFT-based technique. The DFT-based technique can create free...

The present research describes the comprehensive development of a timber folded plate structure, and explores the potential of the folding principle for designing free-form vaulted shells. Corrugated structures are well-known for their efficiency with regard t...

By introducing prestress into slender stiff elements such as cables, slender members can carry compression force. In prestressed structure, thick main compressive members carry the reaction forces, and they are therefore dominant in the weight of the structure...

This project develops a moon-inspired masonry dome for a new Lunar Mission Control at MIT, employing novel construction techniques to balance structural efficiency and sustainability. The Luna dome is constructed from blocks of foamed glass, a lightweight and ...

This paper directly links the abstract geometry of structural form-finding to the fabrication-aware design of discrete shells and spatial structures for 3D concrete printing through a bidirectional approach that creates surface-toolpath twins for the component...

In 1953, Konrad Wachsman proposed the dynamic structure (DS) for designing a rigid-frame structure comprising a single structural element. To reduce the environmental footprint and save resources and construction materials, translating a complex structure into...