Eskandari, Farzaneh
Innovative Architectural Constructions Inspired by Natural Aggregate Systems - Vol.102(1), March - New York Springer 2021 - 215-224p.
Aggregates are a loose accumulation of numerous granular particles in unbound contact. The use of granular materials in construction has long been a concern to facilitate construction processes. Nevertheless, the utilization of these materials as architectural elements has rarely been considered. The capabilities of natural aggregates have given rise to new trends in the design of aggregate structures. This research seeks to develop a computational approach based on the dynamic behavior of loose particles in an attempt to design an aggregate architecture. The intended structure is made of wooden pieces without any additional adhesive bonding or welding. In this regard, a series of physical and computational experiments were carried out to evaluate the influence of the particle geometry on the formation of a stable structure with the least possible amounts of material. Through the physical experiments and computational simulations, different particles with various geometric shapes were analyzed to discover the best-performing shape among them. A physics-based software that operates based on rigid-body dynamics was used for the computational simulations. With this method, a wooden aggregate architecture could be formed by a set of loose particles that could find their own places in the aggregation without any defined arrangement of material. This method has the potential to decrease the cost and time of the construction process which is a great benefit for temporary structures that require immediate rebuilding measures in critical situations due to lack of time.
Civil Engineering
Innovative Architectural Constructions Inspired by Natural Aggregate Systems - Vol.102(1), March - New York Springer 2021 - 215-224p.
Aggregates are a loose accumulation of numerous granular particles in unbound contact. The use of granular materials in construction has long been a concern to facilitate construction processes. Nevertheless, the utilization of these materials as architectural elements has rarely been considered. The capabilities of natural aggregates have given rise to new trends in the design of aggregate structures. This research seeks to develop a computational approach based on the dynamic behavior of loose particles in an attempt to design an aggregate architecture. The intended structure is made of wooden pieces without any additional adhesive bonding or welding. In this regard, a series of physical and computational experiments were carried out to evaluate the influence of the particle geometry on the formation of a stable structure with the least possible amounts of material. Through the physical experiments and computational simulations, different particles with various geometric shapes were analyzed to discover the best-performing shape among them. A physics-based software that operates based on rigid-body dynamics was used for the computational simulations. With this method, a wooden aggregate architecture could be formed by a set of loose particles that could find their own places in the aggregation without any defined arrangement of material. This method has the potential to decrease the cost and time of the construction process which is a great benefit for temporary structures that require immediate rebuilding measures in critical situations due to lack of time.
Civil Engineering