ITECH Publication #02 at DMS 2024

November 22, 2024 / E. Yaman, M. Fouillat, W. Xie, K. Rinderspacher, D. Stieler, H.J. Wagner, P. Baszyński, H. Dahy, J. Knippers, A. Menges

Terra Incognita: Designing Earth-Fabric Hybrids

ITECH graduates Esra Yaman, Maxime Fouillat and Weiqi Xie presented at the Design Modelling Symposium 2024 in Kassel, Germany.

Their paper “Terra Incognita: Designing Earth-Fabric Hybrids” with co-authors Katja Rinderspacher, David Stieler, Hans Jakob Wagner, Piotr Baszyński, Hanaa Dahy, Jan Knippers and Achim Menges is based on their 2023 ITECH M.Sc. Thesis Project “Terra Incoginta”.
The article can be found here:
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-68275-9_33

Congratulations to Esra, Maxime and Bill!

 

© Image credits: E.Yaman, M.Fouillat-Siergiej, W.Xie, ITECH University of Stuttgart, 2023

 

Abstract:

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in construction with raw earth due to its sustainability and reusability. Despite increased and diverse academic research on digital tools like 3D printing, standard earthen construction techniques and typologies have seen limited evolution. Consequently, the building industry continues to rely on the standardised concrete. This paper proposes novel modelling methods for clay-fiber-fabric hybrid structures, with stay-in-place formworks. Integrating computational processes to the material system expands the design space for performative, lightweight earthen components.

Reinforcement patterns for flax fibers are generated from combining the properties of woven jute fabric, material experiments, informed structural behaviours and fabrication requirements. The proposed design-to-fabrication workflow can leverage the benefits of earth-fabric hybrids, enabling structures not solely reliant on compressive forces, unlike traditional earth buildings. This new design space is explored through branching typologies, ideal for large spans and bending moments. Using 3DGS form-finding and polygonal modelling, complex shapes can be created with high accuracy. Material behaviour simulations inform design and structural analysis, ensuring reductions in deviation from the desired form.

This research combines these methods in a comprehensive computational framework for modelling clay-fabric-fiber hybrid structures, with enhanced structural performance, fabrication accuracy and potential for off-site prefabrication, leading to more control, accessibility, and appeal for future architects.

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