Case study: a modular, self-tensioned, bending-active canopy

Doubly curved membrane structures are typically tensioned between high and low anchor points attached to the ground, buildings or poles. By integrating flexible bending elements in the membrane surface, an internal support and shape-defining system is created that provides more freedom in design, and allows reduction of the amount of external supports.
Combining elastically bent elements with a tension structure creates a hybrid bending-active construction. The interacting components can be connected in such a way that the system is self-tensioned and that the action required to bend the spline elements into a curved shape is resolved internally.
Several full-scale bending-active prototypes illustrating this synergetic interaction between membrane and bending element have been built recently, such as the 'Bending-active membrane structure' [1] and 'La Tour de l'Architecte' [2]. Also the structural combination of the bending and membrane elements on the level of separate building components, such as membrane restrained arches and columns are subject of on-going research [3].
This paper demonstrates the concept of self-supported, bending-active tension structures by means of a case study, designed and fabricated by students at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. The form-finding of the structure is discussed, as well as the materialisation into a prototype.

Jaar van publicatie:2013

Trefwoorden:bending-active, active bending, membrane structures, form finding, prototype