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ACADIA Archive » Fabrication: Examining the Digital Practice of Architecture (2004) » Digital Design and Fabrication of Surface Structures (2004)

Digital Design and Fabrication of Surface Structures (2004)

article⁄Digital Design and Fabrication of Surface Structures (2004)
contributor⁄
Bechthold, Martin
in issues⁄
Fabrication: Examining the Digital Practice of Architecture (2004)
abstract⁄This paper presents a study in digital design and manufacturing of shells, which are materialefficient systems that generate their loadbearing capacity through curvature. Their complex shapes are challenging to build, and the few current shell projects employ the same shape repetitively in order to reduce the cost of concrete formwork. Can digital design and manufacturing technology make these systems suitable for the needs of the 21st century The research developed new digitallydriven fabrication processes for WoodFoam Sandwich Shells and FerrocementConcrete Sandwich Shells. These are partially prefabricated in order to allow for the application of ComputerNumerically Controlled CNC technology. Sandwich systems offer advantages for the digitallyenabled construction of shells, while at the same time improving their structural and thermal performance. The research defines design and manufacturing processes that reduce the need for repetition in order to save costs. WoodFoam Sandwich shells are made by laminating woodstrips over a CNCmilled foam mold that eventually becomes the structural sandwich core. For FerrocementConcrete sandwich shells, a twostage process is presented prefabricated ferrocement panels become the permanent formwork for a castinplace concrete shell. The design and engineering process is facilitated through the use of parametric solid modeling environments. Modeling macros and integrated FiniteElement Analysis tools streamline the design process. Accuracy in fabrication is maintained by using CNC techniques for the majority of the shaping processes. The digital design and manufacturing parameters for each process are verified through design and fabrication studies that include prototypes, mockups and physical scale models.
keywords⁄shell, pre-fabrication, prototype, custom-manufacturing, simulation, 2004
Year 2004
Authors Bechthold, Martin.
Issue Fabrication: Examining the Digital Practice of Architecture
Pages 88-99
Library link Philip Beesley, Nancy Yen-Wen Cheng & R. Shane Williamson, 2004. bib⁄Fabrication: Examining the Digital Practice of Architecture. University of Waterloo School of Architecture Press.
Entry filename digital-design-fabrication-surface-structures