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Civil-Comp Proceedings
ISSN 1759-3433
CCP: 48
INNOVATION IN CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Edited by: B.H.V. Topping and M.B. Leeming
Paper II.3

The Processing of Complex or Hybrid Textile Structures

M. Mollaert

Department of Architecture, Brussels Free University, Brussels, Belgium

Full Bibliographic Reference for this paper
M. Mollaert, "The Processing of Complex or Hybrid Textile Structures", in B.H.V. Topping, M.B. Leeming, (Editors), "Innovation in Civil and Structural Engineering", Civil-Comp Press, Edinburgh, UK, pp 63-69, 1997. doi:10.4203/ccp.48.2.3
Abstract
This paper illustrates the possibilities to analyse complex or hybrid three-dimensional form-active structures. The structural model consists of pin joint elements, these represent either a cable element (tension) or a bar ' (compression).

The force density method calculates an equilibrium form for a cable net or a membrane within a given boundary. It is possible to modify the connectivity of the net (add nodes or links, mirror regions) or to change the structural attributes (turn a fixed node into a free one, change the stiffness, the force density of a link or modify the sag of a boundary). Compression bars can be modeled by means of a known unstrained length.

To obtain a powerful interactive tool the edit functions have been implemented within Autocad.

In this tool it is possible to copy and paste a set of elements, to group elements into a composed part and to 'procreate', which means that a set of elements is selected, transformed (translated, rotated, scaled or mirrored) and added to the global structure. Coincident points can be merged into one node to form a structural unity.

The examples show that with EasyER (Pre-processor), EASY (Formfinding and Analysis) and GEDEIN (Graphical Editor within EASY. from Technet) complex and hybrid compositions can be modeled and calculated.

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