S3: Experimental Structures » Alejandro Garcia Garcia

Looped Frames

nataliealima — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 14:46:04 +0000

Our aim was to create a minimal, wired framed structure comprised of individual components. These components where notched together in order to form a unified staircase.In order to ensure structural stability, the form was first physically tested. The structure was firstly laminated with a single layer of plastic and aluminium tape. When realising the materials rigidity, we when applied multiple layers of plastic and metal pieces placed in between each layer. This proved to be successful as the multiple layers of plastic stiffened the structure.

However, in order to strategically place the pieces of metal, we experimented with the model in Karamba.

This enabled us to examine the beam setup and test the cantilevers.

Finally, in order to connect each of the individual components, we used a notching system which proved to offer further stability to the overall form .

GRID Analysis

rodolfoparolin — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 12:22:15 +0000

Structure behaviour

alejandrogarcia — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 21:42:06 +0000

Bending active structure

alejandrogarcia — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 18:12:50 +0000

For our structure we decide to explore the elastic bending structural properties as a means to generate curved geometries from initially straight or planar elements of plywood. The main motivation behind using it lies in the simplicity of producing a curved element just by bending it.

The structure is formed by special parametrically design pieces of plywood that interlock between each other giving as a result a bending active structure made of thin elastically bent plywood pieces. The force is locally stored in each bent region of the plywood pieces, and it’s maintained by the corresponding tension region of the neighboring piece, this type of connection greatly increases the structural capacity of the system.

The location of the connection between the plywood pieces needs to change along the structure in order to change its shape, these changing connection will also help to prevent local points of concentrated bending. Also in other to change the structures shape and cope with structural forces the plywood pieces can be scaled in size.