Realisation of Complex Precast Concrete Structures Through the Integration of Algorithmic Design and Novel Fabrication Techniques

Abstract

This paper describes a novel method for constructing complex concrete structures from small-scale individualized elements. The method was developed through the investigation of laser cutting, folding and concrete casting in PETG plastic sheets and funicular grid shell simulations as a generator of complex geometry. In two full-scale experiments, grid shell structures have been designed and built at Aarhus School of Architecture and the University of Technology, Sydney, in 2011 and 2012. The novel design method is described as an iterative process, negotiating both physical and digital constraints. This involves consideration of the relations between geometry and technique, as well as the use of form-finding and simulation algorithms for shaping and optimising the shape of the structure. Custom-made scripts embedded in 3D-modeling tools were used for producing the information necessary for realising the construction comprised of discrete concrete elements.