On designing plane-faced funicular gridshells. Issue 1 (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Millar, Cameron; Mitchell, Toby; Mazurek, Arek; Chhabra, Ashpica; Beghini, Alessandro; Clelland, Jeanne N; McRobie, Allan; Baker, William F
• Is Part Of: International journal of space structures. Volume 38:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 40
• Page End: 63
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: Gridshell -- shell -- design -- Airy -- Maxwell -- funicular -- graphic statics -- isotropic geometry; Space frame structures -- Periodicals; Space (Architecture) -- Periodicals; Space (Architecture); Space frame structures; Periodicals; 624.177
• DOI: 10.1177/09560599221126656
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-0599

Abstract

Concepts from isotropic geometry, Timoshenko's shell theory, Airy stress functions and Maxwell's reciprocal diagrams are combined in the design of plane-faced funicular gridshells. The notions of self-Airy and mixed-Airy gridshells are introduced, with an emphasis on self-tied gridshells. This paper extends the work of J.C. Maxwell for 2D pin-jointed trusses to 2.5D gridshells with the addition of a new reciprocal figure called the slope diagram . The form, force and slope diagrams are combined by a mixed area calculation to produce another new figure called the Maxwell-Mondrian diagram. A powerful new design process leveraging the relationship between the gridshell geometry and the Airy stress function is presented.