Control by Pattern

The research investigates how the pattern can help to manage the distribution of the material according to the structural behaviour of structural elements such as beams and columns. Several experiments have been developed in order to understand how the deformation of a beam can be controlled during the casting process through the introduction of stitching lines. The design is therefore related to the control of the plaster flux within a membrane of Lycra. Consequently the pattern, where the plaster can flux, generates lines that increase the rigidity of the shape reducing the weight of the beam. The control points of the pattern are distributed according to a parabolic distribution, which follows the bending moment diagram of an horizontal beam loaded with a uniformly distributed load. Under the load effect, the distance between the control points becomes bigger in the middle, where the bigger deformation is. In order to reduce the amount of plaster and improve the behaviour of the pattern, a second order of control points can be added. After these initial studies, the experiments have been developed of vertical casting. In this case, the plaster tends to widely deform the bottom part of the column, so the distribution of control points has been studied according to the movement of the pressure curve in a fluid to be able to control the effect of gravity.

Time | 2014
Location | London, United Kingdom
Status | Concept Design
Programme | Digital Simulation
Tutors | S. Bhooshan
Team | M. Santi, S. Aburas, M. Bao, S. Krishnasre