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The authors of this research investigate the possibility of fabricating shell-based cellular structures using knitting techniques. Shellular Funicular Structures are two-manifold single-layer structures that can be designed in the context of graphic statics. These are efficient compression/tension-only structures that have been designed for a certain boundary condition. Although the shellular funicular structures are efficient geometries in transferring the forces, the fabrication process is challenging due to the geometric complexity of the structure. Since Shellular structures comprise a single surface, they are suitable candidates to be fabricated using knitting technique, a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile or fabric. Using knitting approach, one can fabricate shellular structures with minimum production waste in which the knit can work as a formwork for actual structure or act as a composite structure combined with bio-based resin. This research proposes a workflow to fabricate shellular structures using knitting that can be scaled up for industrial purposes. In this process, the designed shellular structures are divided into multiple sections that can be unrolled into planar geometries. These geometries are optimized based on the elastic forces in the knitted network and knitted and sewn to make a topologically complex geometry of the shellular systems. After assembling the knitted parts and applying external forces at the boundaries, the final configuration of the structural form in tension is achieved. Then this form is impregnated with custom bio-resin blends from chitosan, sodium alginate, and silk fibroin to stiffen the soft knit structures into a compressed system. Although this method is an efficient fabrication technique for constructing shellular structures, it needs to be translated into an optimized method of cutting, knitting, and sewing with respect to the complexity of the shellular geometry. As a proof of concept of the proposed workflow, a mesoscale shellular structure is fabricated. Keywords: Biocomposite Structures, Shellular Funicular Structures, Knitting, Graphic statics.
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From design to the fabrication of shellular funicular structures
Shellular Funicular Structures (SFSs) are single-layer, two-manifold structures with anticlastic curvature, designed in the context of graphic statics. They are considered as efficient structures applicable to many functions on different scales. Due to their complex geometry, design and fabrication of SFSs are quite challenging, limiting their application in large scales. Furthermore, designing these structures for a predefined boundary condition, control, and manipulation of their geometry are not easy tasks. Moreover, fabricating these geometries is mostly possible using additive manufacturing techniques, requiring a lot of support in the printing process. Cellular funicular structures (CFSs) as strut-based spatial structures can be easily designed and manipulated in the context of graphic statics. This paper introduces a computational algorithm for translating a Cellular Funicular Structure (CFS) to a Shellular Funicular Structure (SFS). Furthermore, it explains a fabrication method to build the structure out of a flat sheet of material using the origami/ kirigami technique as an ideal choice because of its accessibility, processibility, low cost, and applicability to large scales. The paper concludes by displaying a design and fabricated structure using this technique.
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- PAR ID:
- 10314969
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA)
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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