Sigrid Adriaenssens

Princeton University | PU · Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

This papers examines the feasibility of 3 medium span (16m - 32m) spliced spline stressed membranes. Medium span slender arch systems have been used for canopy structures of stadia cladding such as the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium. Lateral bracing by the membrane means that the arch can be slender and flexible. Flexibility and lightness fit in well wit...

This paper demonstrates the use of topology optimization as a design tool for a thin-shell bridge structure. The presented topology optimization algorithm computes the material distribution within the shell while maximizing its overall stiffness for a given volume of material. The optimization routine is coupled to a Finite Element Method and finds...

Innovations in formwork solutions create new possibilities for architectural concrete constructions. Flexible fabric replaces the stiff traditional formwork elements, and takes away a limiting factor for creative designs. Combined with textile reinforcement, the production of a new range of curved and organic shapes becomes possible without the int...

Structural engineering, prompted by advances in mechanics and computing as well as design principles such as sustainability and resilience, is evolving towards adaptive structures. Adaptive structures are structures that use active components to change shape and properties in response to their environment and/or to their users’ desires. Form-found...

In this paper, we present a 3-dimensional elastic beam model for the form-finding and analysis of elastic gridshells subjected to bending deformation at the self-equilibrium state. Although the axial, bending, and torsional strains of the beam elements are small, the curved beams connected by hinge joints are subjected to large-deformation. The dir...

Gridshells can span long distances efficiently if they have an adequate form. Numerical form-finding methods coupled with optimization algorithms generate such efficient shapes for gridshells based on different stiffness assumptions. These stiffness assumptions may condition the optimality of the generated shape. This paper presents a comparative s...

Geometry forms the basis for the study of equilibrium of masonry structures. The dependence of the stability of masonry structures on geometry rather than on material strength was well known to the ancient builders who, over time, empirically worked out rules of proportion for good structural building design. We propose a new graphical approach to...

Creases are purposely introduced to thin structures for designing deployable origami, artistic geometries, and functional structures with tunable nonlinear mechanics. Modeling the mechanics of creased structures is challenging because creases introduce geometric discontinuity and often have complex mechanical responses due to local material damage....

The dynamics of soft mechanical metamaterials provides opportunities for many exciting engineering applications. Previous works have shown tremendous success in describing the unique nonlinear dynamics of certain types of soft mechanical metamaterials. However, capturing the nonlinear dynamic response of these materials especially those with comple...

Largely due to its geometry-endowed bistability, the origami waterbomb base offers wide-ranging engineering potential. Here, we explore how nonzero crease curvature, which leads to panel bending, enhances the tunability of this structure. To reveal the influence of crease curvature on the deployed geometry and the mechanical response of the octagon...

In this paper, an alternative original analytical and numerical formulation is presented for the solution of a system of static and kinematic ordinary differential equations for curved beams. The formulation is represented here as being useful in the structural evaluation of arch structures and it is propaedeutic to be used in optimization framewor...

Female students, students of color, first-generation students, and low income students face considerable barriers in access to STEM education, leading to their underrepresentation in STEM fields. Ensuring that these students develop strong self-efficacy and motivation in STEM during the college years is key to addressing the “leaky” STEM pipeline....

This paper presents a fabrication-informed design method for triangulated space frame structures that remain stable during all phases of their robotic assembly and disassembly without requiring external scaffolding. A graph theoretic framework, based on rigidity theory, is developed to allow the structure, its support conditions, and the impact of...

Creases are purposely introduced to thin structures for designing deployable origami, artistic geometries, and functional structures with tunable nonlinear mechanics. Modeling the mechanics of creased structures is challenging because creases introduce geometric discontinuity and often have complex mechanical responses due to the local material dam...

The dynamics of soft mechanical metamaterials provides opportunities for many exciting engineering applications. Previous studies often use discrete systems, composed of rigid elements and nonlinear springs, to model the nonlinear dynamic responses of the continuum metamaterials. Yet it remains a challenge to accurately construct such systems based...

Bringing together historic and contemporary case studies, this chapter discusses the influence of form-finding, optimization, and digital fabrication techniques on the development of novel bridge typologies. First, we discuss the engineering and societal framework within which these methods are introduced and present a succinct overview of recent c...

Phase field method has proven capable of producing complex crack patterns in solids. It introduces a continuous phase field to regularize the sharp crack discontinuities. However, the applicability of this method to engineering problems is hindered by its computational costs. In this work, we proposed a mapped phase field method as a possible route...

Self-balancing construction technologies were used for centuries in the building of masonry domes and vaults. Such construction techniques were made possible through the careful design of the block tessellation and the structural form, which enabled construction of complex geometries that remain stable without falsework. These historical masonry te...

In this study, we explore the mechanics of a bigon and a bigon ring from a combination of experiments and numerical simulations. A bigon is a simple elastic network consisting of two initially straight strips that are deformed to intersect with each other through a fixed intersection angle at each end. A bigon ring is a novel multistable structure...

Geometrically complex masonry structures (e.g., arches, domes, vaults) are traditionally built with scaffolding or falsework to provide stability during construction. The process of building such structures can potentially be improved through the use of multiple robots working together in a cooperative assembly framework. Here a robot is envisioned...

Pressurized thin-wall structures cover a broad range of applications, including storage tanks, pressurized rubber flood barriers, and large span enclosures. To accurately model such structures, the analyst must select the appropriate mechanical formulation (e.g.membrane vs shell). Membranes are assumed to have negligible bending stiffness and respo...

Geometrically complex masonry structures (e.g., arches, domes, vaults) are traditionally built with expensive scaffolding or falsework to provide stability during construction. The process of building such structures can potentially be improved through the use of multiple robots working together in a cooperative assembly framework. Here a robot is...

We propose an efficient method to reinitialize a level set function to a signed distance function by solving an elliptic problem using the finite element method. The original zero level set interface is preserved by means of applying modified boundary conditions to a surrogate/approximate interface weakly with a penalty method. Narrow band techniqu...

Inflatable, metre-scale origami structures have been designed to transform from flat structures into expanded forms and then to lock into their new shape. This technology opens the way to the use of large origami structures for engineering. Metre-scale folded structures that inflate into fixed 3D shapes.

Abstract With timber pieces to weave a large span, the Chinese rainbow bridge in the famous painting entitled “Scenery along the River During the Qingming Festival” shows a special structural type. According to its arch shape, joints and construction technology, the rainbow bridge is perhaps an optimized design in its historical context. This hypot...

Geometrically complex masonry structures built with traditional techniques typically require either temporary scaffolding or skilled masons. This paper presents a novel fabrication process for the assembly of full-scale masonry vaults without the use of falsework. The fabrication method is based on a cooperative assembly approach in which two robot...

Robots in traditional fabrication applications act as passive participants in the process of creation-simply performing a set of predetermined actions to materialize a completed design. We propose a novel bottom-up design framework in which robots are instead given the opportunity to participate centrally within a creative design process. This pape...

We propose a numerical framework to study mechanics of elastic networks that are made of thin strips. Each strip is modeled as a Kirchhoff rod, and the entire strip network is formulated as a two-point boundary value problem (BVP) that can be solved by a general-purpose BVP solver. We first study the buckling behavior of a bigon, which consists of...

The LightVault project demonstrates a novel robotic construction method for masonry vaults, developed in a joint effort between Princeton University and the global architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Using two cooperating robotic arms, a full-scale vault (plan: 3.6 × 6.5 m, height: 2.2 m) made up of 338 glass bricks...

Mechanical metamaterials are artificial structures that exhibit unusual mechanical properties at the macroscopic level due to architected geometric design at the microscopic level. With rapid advancement of multi-material 3D printing techniques, it is possible to design mechanical metamaterials by varying spatial distributions of different base mat...

In this paper a novel method for the shape optimization of tapered arches subjected to in-plane gravity (self-weight) and horizontal loading through compressive internal loading is presented. The arch is discretized into beam elements, and axial deformation is assumed to be small. The curved shape of the tapered arch is discretized into a centroida...

This paper presents an adjoint-based method for solving optimization problems involving pressurized membrane structures subject to external pressure loads. Shape optimization of pressurized membranes is complicated by the fact that, lacking bending stiffness, their three-dimensional shape must be sustained by the internal pressure of the inflation...

Cellular mechanical metamaterials are a special class of materials, whose mechanical properties are primarily determined by their geometry. But capturing the nonlinear mechanical behavior of these materials, especially with complex geometries and under large deformation can be challenging due to the inherent computational complexity. In this work,...

Optimizing the parameters of partial differential equations (PDEs), i.e., PDE-constrained optimization (PDE-CO), allows us to model natural systems from observations or perform rational design of structures with complicated mechanical, thermal, or electromagnetic properties. However, PDE-CO is often computationally prohibitive due to the need to so...

The Brunelleschi herringbone pattern was certainly known by the Sangallo in the 16th century, who developed their own self-balanced construction technology for masonry domes based on the cross-herringbone spiraling pattern. Such technology was used for over one century in Italy to build masonry domes without shoring and formwork. However today it i...

Dynamic solar shading has the potential to dramatically reduce the energy consumption in buildings while at the same time improving the thermal and visual comfort of its occupants. Many new typologies of shading systems that have appeared recently, but it is difficult to compare those new systems to existing typologies due to control algorithm bein...

Between the ’50s and the ’70s of the last century a class of analytical forms, the so called parabolic velaroid surfaces, were widely used to design thin reinforced concrete shells due to their ability to equilibrate design loads by pure membrane actions. These forms are obtained as an approximate analytical solution to the differential equation co...

Motivated by the need to combat future coastal flooding, this work explores alternatives to flood barriers based on the concept of pneumatic barriers. A pneumatic barrier, otherwise known as an inflatable barrier, comprises a flexible nylon coated vulcanized rubber membrane anchored to one or two linearly clamped supports attached to a ballast cais...

Buildings account for about 40% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2018. The better design of building envelopes through the integration of external dynamic shades is critical for reducing this large energy consumption while at the same time improving the quality of indoor spaces for people. This paper elucidates the benefits of a novel control me...

The talent, knowledge and approaches of the structural designer Laurent Ney (1964-present) are increasingly recognized by engineering, architecture and construction awards. Most of the writing on his work has focused on his design philosophy or on individual projects. The aim of this paper is threefold: 1) to provide a social, historic and geologic...

Thin shells are found across scales ranging from biological blood cells to engineered large-span roof structures. The engineering design of thin shells used as mechanisms has occasionally been inspired by biomimetic concept generators. The research goal of this paper is to establish the physical limits of scalability of shells. Sixty-four instances...

This chapter focuses on the testing and design of shape shifting façade prototypes that are programmed to passively sense stimuli and respond in a controlled setting based on the hygroscopic properties of wood. Wood is introduced in this context as a low-tech smart material with a naturally soft responsive mechanism that offers a substitute for mec...

The geometry of shell structures plays an essential role in their capacity to withstand earthquakes. However seismic loading is rarely considered when determining the overall geometry of shells. This paper presents a novel form finding methodology for the conceptual seismic design of corrugated shells. The method ensures that a compression load pat...

Wood is a natural engineering material that has traditionally been exploited in design for a wide variety of applications. The recent demand for sustainable material and construction processes in the construction industry has triggered a renewed interest and research in the inherent properties of wood and their derived applications, and specificall...

The geometry of shell structures plays an essential role in their capacity to withstand earthquakes. However seismic loading is rarely considered when determining the overall geometry of shells. This paper presents a novel form finding methodology for the conceptual seismic design of corrugated shells. The method ensures that a compression load pat...

Striking curvilinear surfaces in architecture have often been erected on-site by elaborate custom scaffolding. This paper examines issues around the value of reconfigurable modular framework as design agency in generating variable cast curved forms. Self-supporting steel modules, demountable and able to be rearranged, are used to test ideas for cas...

Umbrellas are paradigmatic cases of bending-active structures, where the initially straight ribs are bent by the action of the membrane canopy but, reciprocally, the canopy is prestressed by the bending of the ribs. Since the geometry of these elements depends on their mutual interaction, a viable configuration of an umbrella, comprising its geomet...

The objective of the study is to further define the engineering properties of clayey materials that influence performance when used in additive manufacturing. Limited existing literature explored the workability, extrudability and buildability of these material mixes to determine the acceptable ranges to be 3D-printed. This study was designed to de...

The overall form of shell structures has a large impact on their behavior during earthquakes. Therefore, it is important to develop material-efficient shell geometries that can withstand seismic loading. By following a previously developed form finding process that relies on thrust lines obtained under combined horizontal and vertical loading, it i...

Umbrellas are paradigmatic cases of bending-active structures, where the initially straight ribs are bent by the action of the membrane canopy but, reciprocally, the canopy is prestressed by the bending of the ribs. Since the geometry of these elements depends on their mutual interaction, a viable configuration of an umbrella, comprising its geomet...

Despite being accepted as a robust assessment of masonry stability, thrust line analysis (TLA) relies on assumptions that can lead to a conservative assessment of stability. This article aims to quantify the extent of these limitations through a comparison of TLA with discrete element modeling (DEM). Two studies are provided. The first study compar...

In designing cable net structures for civil engineering applications (e.g. roofs, façades), engineers aim to minimize deformations under static loading. However, some cable net structures can undergo large deformations and are subjected to mainly dynamic loads. This work explores the design of a moored cable net shark barrier in La Réunion, which m...

The combined effects of nonstandard geometries, material tunability and increased simulation capabilities, propelled thin shells at the forefront of a new wave of adaptive structures. The field of adaptive structures is bound to be transformed by structures ever more reliable and simpler to manufacture. Thins shells have the potential to be such st...

In designing cable net structures for civil engineering applications (e.g. roofs, façades), engineers aim to minimize deformations under static loading. However, some cable net structures can undergo large deformations and are subjected to mainly dynamic loads. This work explores the design of a moored cable net shark barrier in La Réunion, which m...

Pneumatic structures have found acceptance in many architectural and structural engineering contexts, such as stadium roofs and hangars. On the civil scale, pneumatic storm surge barriers promise several economic and environmental advantages over conventional coastal defense structures (i.e. sea walls). Such barriers, made of synthetic rubber, coul...

When designing shell structures, aiming to achieve membrane action is key in the realization of efficient and optimized systems. The Relaxed Funicularity Ellipse Method has been developed to quantify the funicularity of shells and aids to assess the global structural behavior of the selected shape. Shell structures are usually designed to resist st...

When designing shell structures, aiming to achieve membrane action is key in the realization of efficient and optimized systems. The Relaxed Funicularity Ellipse Method has been developed to quantify the funicularity of shells and aids to assess the global structural behavior of the selected shape. Shell structures are usually designed to resist st...

This paper presents the first form finding method for masonry arches subjected to self-weight and in-plane horizontal loading due to earthquakes. New material-efficient arch shapes are obtained by considering both horizontal and gravitational acceleration in the form finding process. By interpreting the obtained forms, insights into the influence o...

In this paper, a form finding approach is presented that allows for the shape generation of masonry shells in seismic areas. Through a parametric study, this method is illustrated for a wide variety of boundary conditions and leads to a set of shapes for double layer thin shells. Earlier studies have shown that continuous shells behave well during...

Concrete roof shells have shown to be inherently able to sustain earthquakes, but the reasons for this apparent seismic resistance have been subject to limited research. Concrete shells exhibit a high structural efficiency and thus can be constructed very thin. Because of their relative lightweight nature, the earthquake forces induced in a thin sh...

This paper presents the design, analysis, and fabrication of a membrane sculpture based on the Costa minimal surface. The work was developed during the Spring of 2016 at Princeton University as a pedagogical exercise combining the mathematics of minimal shapes with the major aspects of membrane structure design. Three different numerical form findi...