Design of restrained pneumatic formwork – Inverse form finding and materialisation for free form geometries


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Date

2024

Publication Type

Conference Paper

ETH Bibliography

yes

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Abstract

This paper presents a method for the inverse design of restrained air-supported structures or pneumatic formwork. The proposed approach consists of two main steps. We first solve a best-fit optimisation using the force-density method. Considering the self-weight and air pressure, the optimisation determines an equilibrium force distribution in the membrane as a discrete network that closely approximates a given input surface. Subsequently, the force density results are materialised. By applying the finite element method, we tailor the material properties of the membrane, specifically adjusting its stiffness, to achieve the desired structural characteristics. To demonstrate the adaptability and effectiveness of our method, the paper concludes with a series of examples showcasing its application.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Proceedings of the IASS 2024 Symposium: Redefining the Art of Structural Design

Volume

2024

Pages / Article No.

17

Publisher

International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS)

Event

IASS 2024 Annual Symposium: Redefining the Art of Structural Design

Edition / version

Methods

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Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

pneumatic structure; force density method; finite element method; form-finding; inverse design

Organisational unit

03847 - Block, Philippe / Block, Philippe check_circle

Notes

Conference lecture on August 28, 2024

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