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Dante Bini’s Form-Resistant Binishells
Abstract
This paper aims to review Dante Bini’s career, as well as his form-resistant Binishell and other pneumatic construction systems. The role of Mario Salvadori in Bini’s international success works as the introduction to a broader discussion about the relationship between innovation in design and innovation in construction for shell and gridshell designers. The second part of the paper focuses, instead, on Bini’s double profile—architect and builder—which led him to develop his inventions both architecturally and as commercial products.
... [355][356][357][358][359][360][361][362][363][364][365]. Cambridge UK: Construction History Society-Short Run Press. In Chap. 2, a preliminary discussion on the connection between the contents of Mario Salvadori's Why buildings stand Up and the design concepts expressed by Bini was initially developed and presented in: Pugnale, Alberto and Alberto Bologna. 2017. Dante Bini's form-resistant Binishells. Nexus Network Journal. Architecture and Mathematics 3: 681-699. Bini's emigration to Australia and some details of his Australian Binishells were initially discussed in: Pugnale, Alberto, and Alberto Bologna. 2015. Dante Bini's "new architectural formulae": construction, collapse and demolition o ...
... In this framework, it is fair to say that the invention of the Binishell has made Bini the last of the great Italian builders of domes, the direct successor of Nervi, Michelangelo, Filippo Brunelleschi and the unknown builder of the Pantheon in Rome. In fact, the monolithic nature of the Binishell makes it conceptually closer to the Pantheon than to the certainly more iconic domes of the past century, e.g. the cupola of the Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome (Pugnale and Bologna 2017). Indeed, the construction technique developed by Bini is certainly the most suitable for the serial production of domes, even with respect to the better-known system that was patented in 1950 by Nervi (Nervi 1950;Howard 1966: 204-233). ...
This book reviews Dante Bini’s inventions and designs, focusing on his form-resistant Binishell and other pneumatic construction systems. Dante Bini’s double profile of architect and builder underpins the narrative of the entire book. It is used to analyse the evolution of the early reinforced-concrete Binishell patent into a variety of automated construction systems based on the use of air. Dante Bini has always been quite proactive in promoting his work and disseminating the results of his experimentations and achievements via journal articles, conference presentations and public talks; promotional brochures in multiple languages were also prepared to export and license his patents in various countries, from Italy to the Americas and Australia. Despite this, a rigorous study of Dante Bini’s work is still unavailable, and the relevance of this figure to contemporary architecture has yet to be discussed comprehensively. This book fills in this gap and arrives at the right time: during the last two decades, there has been an exponential interest in shell and spatial structures, particularly concerning the use of complex geometries and innovative construction techniques.
This book will be of interest to academics in architectural design, theory and construction history, and practitioners and students interested in expanding their knowledge in the design and construction of shell and spatial structures.
... Elles sont économiques puisque fabriquées à partir de matériaux fin et souples standards mis en forme par la pression de l'air. Elles ont déjà été utilisées comme coffrages pour fabriquer des coques en béton, comme le projet Domecrete de Heifetz, les dômes Bini de Dante Bini dans les années 1960s [5], ou l'exemple contemporain Pneumatic Formwork Systems in Structural Engineering de Kromoser et al. [6]. Ces exemples utilisent des gonflables en forme de dôme composés d'une simple membrane confectionnée selon un patron, ce qui limite les formes constructibles à des surfaces de type CMC (Constant Mean Curvature) ( fig. 2 1a, 1b, 1c). ...
La construction de coques minces en béton est coûteuse en matériaux et en main d’œuvre à cause de la fabrication du coffrage qui génère une vaste quantité de déchets. Ces éléments non réutilisables ont un impact négatif sur l’ACV de la construction. Ces difficultés expliquent en partie pourquoi la construction de coques minces est devenue rare à la fin du XXème siècle malgré l’indéniable qualité architecturale qu’elles confèrent aux espaces créés. Cette recherche a pour objectif de modéliser et concevoir un nouveau système de coffrage économe en moyens, pour préfabriquer des éléments surfaciques en béton à partir de structures gonflables. Contrairement à des exemples historiques proposant des gonflables à simple peau, nous proposons de liaisonner deux membranes selon un motif. Composé de courbes, le motif est conçu afin qu’une fois les membranes gonflées, la métrique du plan varie de manière non uniforme et génère une surface en trois dimensions selon le theorema egregium de Gauss. Le dessin du motif d’assemblage est guidé par un outil numérique capable de simuler précisément une forme gonflée en 3D à partir d’un motif de soudure en 2D. Cette méthode de fabrication serait automatisable et transposable à plus grande échelle. L’article décrira les principes géométriques et l’outil de simulation numérique. Nous présenterons une application, la fabrication d’un coffrage gonflable et la construction d’une coque mince en béton.
... During construction using this method, the shape of the structure is created by inflating a flexible membrane. Inflation can take place not only before the installation of the reinforcement and the application of concrete [15], but also thereafter [16,17]. This construction method is fast, simple, and inexpensive, but the disadvantage is that the range of available geometries is severely limited by the shapes that can be attained by inflating a membrane. ...
Despite all their advantages, load-bearing concrete shell structures with double curvatures are not frequently in use. The main reason is the complexity of their construction. In such a context, this article starts with a brief, critical review of existing technologies while their pros and cons are highlighted. Against that background, the authors propose a new approach for the highly automated fabrication of gridshell structures from variable modules reinforced with textile meshes. To demonstrate the feasibility of such a new technology, a demonstrator called ConDIT 1.0, a sphere-like shell structure composed of several frames, was designed and built. The frame modules were fabricated automatically using extrusion-based 3D printing and a printable, strain-hardening cement-based composite (SHCC). This article presents the design of ConDIT 1.0, the mechanical material characterization of printed SHCC, the technology of module production, the results of geometry verification for print modules using 3D scanning, and the procedure for the demonstrator’s assembly.
... During construction using this method, the shape of the structure is created by inflating a flexible membrane. Inflation can take place not only before the installation of the reinforcement and the application of concrete [16], but also thereafter [17], [18]. This construction method is fast, simple, and inexpensive, but the disadvantage is that the range of available geometries is severely limited. ...
Despite all their advantages, load-bearing concrete shell structures with double curvatures are not frequently in use. The main reason is the complexity of their construction. In such a context, this article starts with a brief, critical review of existing technologies while their pros and cons are highlighted. Against that background the authors then propose a new approach for the highly automated fabrication of gridshell structures from variable modules. To demonstrate the feasibility of such a new technology, a demonstrator called ConDIT 1.0, a sphere-like shell structure composed of several frames was designed and built. The frame modules were fabricated automatically using extrusion-based 3D printing and a printable, strain-hardening cement-based composite (SHCC). This article presents the design of ConDIT 1.0, the mechanical material characterization of printed SHCC, the technology of module production, the results of geometry verification for print modules using 3D scanning, and the procedure for the demonstrator’s assembly. TRANSLATE with x English ArabicHebrewPolish BulgarianHindiPortuguese CatalanHmong DawRomanian Chinese SimplifiedHungarianRussian Chinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovak CzechItalianSlovenian DanishJapaneseSpanish DutchKlingonSwedish EnglishKoreanThai EstonianLatvianTurkish FinnishLithuanianUkrainian FrenchMalayUrdu GermanMalteseVietnamese GreekNorwegianWelsh Haitian CreolePersian TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal Back
The 20th century was a time for architectural change, technical innovation and the search for affordable construction and prefabrication. In this context, pneumatic concrete laminar structures represent the advances towards a new architecture that could give answers to the challenges of the century. This work identifies the systems that were explored during that period and describes the experimental designs developed by W. Neff, H. Heifetz, H. Isler, D. B. South and D. Bini. In addition, the adaptation capability of this singular type and the reasons that caused the abandonment of these structure are also analysed.
Construction of concrete shells is expensive and generates wastes from the fabrication of formworks. Being non-reusable, these elements have a negative impact on the life-cycle assessment of the construction. The purpose of this research is to design and build a new inexpensive formwork system made of inflatable structures for precast and thin concrete shells construction.
By sealing two membranes according to a pattern, this system allows the construction of complex inflated shapes. The sealing pattern is designed such that, once inflated, the planar metric becomes not uniform and generates a 3D surface following Gauss’s Theorema Egregium, a classical result of differential geometry. This design of the seal pattern is guided by a numerical tool capable of accurately predicting the inflated shape. The simulations are compared to physical models made of fabrics, before manufacturing inflatable formwork prototypes in composite membranes from about 1 to three metres wide. Support is set up to pour concrete on the inflatable formwork without damaging it for reuse. The resulting thin concrete shell and its fabrication method are eligible for wider-scale application in the AEC industry.
L’obiettivo della ricerca è quello di definire le nuove frontiere dell’architettura in pietra. Tale obiettivo è perseguito secondo due modalità: una teorico-critica e una sperimentale/operativa. La tesi fornisce dunque un’ampia trattazione dei temi storico-critici connessi alla recente riscoperta dei materiali lapidei da parte del mondo della progettazione. Gli stessi temi sono alla base delle riflessioni concettuali e operative che hanno portato alla definizione di inedite strategie progettuali e costruttive volte alla realizzazione di alcuni prototipi sperimentali presentati nella tesi. Questi prototipi hanno il ruolo di dimostrare nuove possibili strade che possono portare in un prossimo futuro alla ridefinizione del ruolo dell’architettura in pietra all’interno della disciplina architettonica. Le nuove frontiere proposte presuppongono l’utilizzo dei più recenti strumenti di progettazione parametrico-computazionale, di fabbricazione digitale e robotica.
The Italian architect Dante Bini began his studies on shell structures during the 1960s. He developed and refined a form-finding and construction technique to erect a finished large-span reinforced concrete (RC) shell structure through the use of an inflatable membrane. This system was patented in 1964 under the name ‘Binishell’ and, over the following decades, it has been applied to construct hundreds of domes throughout the world.
Bini’s invention fitted perfectly into the Italian post-war tradition, as he was, at the same time, the architect and builder of his structures. A few experimental tests were initially performed in Italy, and the first binishells that he lifted after the patent was filed were also constructed there. Since 1966, as a result of Mario Salvadori’s interest, Bini has been recognised internationally.
In 1974 he moved to Australia after the NSW Department of Public Works asked him to realise a set of school facilities using the binishell technology. The construction of concrete shells has always been a difficult and expensive process – the preparation of formworks, as well as the installation of curved reinforcing rods before the concrete is poured, require experience and increase the construction costs. Such problems are particularly relevant in the Australian context, where the use of simple and rapid construction technologies has always been a priority.
Dante Bini’s life and the binishell technology have been well documented from the historical point of view. However, a detailed report and contextualisation of Dante Bini’s Australian experience is still missing. A first attempt to survey the Australian binishells has already been published by the authors.2 The focus was on placing Bini’s early work within the previous research on pneumatic structures which began in the 1920s. The narrative of this paper instead starts in the 1960s, a period of great media success for RC shells. First, the origin of binishells is described as a natural consequence of three preceding inventions/patents. A timeline of the events that defined Bini’s emigration to Australia is then provided. A full list of the Australian binishells is also included, with detailed information on the archival sources, major alterations and current conditions.
Pier Luigi Nervi (1891-1979) is the most famous Italian engineer from the twentieth century. In 1952, having reached the peak of his career as a designer and entrepreneur in Italy, Nervi decided to enter the academic and professional world in the United States. Thus he undertook a path that would lead him to achieve fame in America: he promoted the circulation of his writings and works in the top American journals, strengthened his friendship with colleagues such as Pietro Belluschi, Marcel Breuer, Mario Salvadori and José Luis Sert, and held conferences in the most prestigious US universities. In 1962 Harvard University awarded him the Charles Eliot Norton chair. Between 1958 and 1976, thanks to the fame he had won, Studio Nervi succeeded in obtaining and managing important consultancy assignments for the construction of large structures in the United States. This book analyses how Nervi managed to export an idea of construction, characterized by unmistakably original buildings, of great commercial success. The twenty years of Studio Nervi's business in the United States embrace an important part of the history of the relations between post-war Italian engineering culture and American architectural and construction praxis as well as between academia and profession, and, not least, between clients and design studios.
The Valle d’Itria area is characterised by the presence of dry stone vernacular structures called ‘trulli’. Although these represent a unique example of complex vernacular architecture, an in-depth analysis of their geometric features has not been carried out. This paper aims to fill that gap, and includes a review of their historical origin and a description of their most common building typologies. The building technique is reviewed in all its stages in order to point out the important relation between construction, structural behaviour and final shape of the building. Furthermore, morphologies and proportions of 30 existing trulli are investigated, by means of virtual three-dimensional models obtained by a combination of laserscanner and geo-radar surveying. The high-fidelity geometric models offer a new interpretation of their architecture. Moreover, this study highlights the lack of a
systematic and consistent building methodology of trulli.
The Iglesia de la Virgen de la Medalla Milagrosa, or Miraculous Medal Church, exemplifies Félix Candela's mastery of discipline and play with the hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar) form. Candela designed and built this thin shell concrete structure in Narvarte, Mexico City between 1953 and 1955. His design concept was developed from his asymmetrical "umbrella" hypar form which he then tilted and warped to form half of each bay of the nave of Milagrosa. This paper first presents finite element analyses and a discussion of the structural form for each stage in the development of this design concept. Then an analysis of two adjacent bays is presented assuming a uniform thickness of 4cm (1.6in). In the actual structure, Candela adds a scalloping pattern which thickens the top ridge to 14 cm (5.5in). Through additional analysis with this added weight, this paper finds that significant tensile forces would develop without the scalloping ridge. The scalloped ridge therefore serves both structural and aesthetic functions.
The Swiss engineer Heinz Isler (1926-2009) was convinced that "formfinding is the most important factor in shell design" [7]. The present contribution starts with an appreciation of his very first lecture at the founding colloquium of IASS in 1959; then it mentions the follow-up presentation 20 years later after an extremely active and successful period. His three main formfinding methods are discussed. Isler's aversion against computer models is briefly mentioned. Finally a short remark on the personality of Heinz Isler is given.
Architect, animator and educator Nic Clear challenges the contemporary notion of the pastoral to go beyond the simplistic binary opposites of the untainted rural idyll and the industrialised city. He explores how the narratives of the pastoral have provided a mainstay for science fiction and how this can be used to re‐imagine nature itself with the aid of advanced biotechnologies to create new architectures for the 21st century.
This paper presents the author's experience in the design and construction of more than one thousand concrete shell structures over a 40 year period. The shell shapes presented are not based on geometric concepts, but result from shape-finding experiments. The shapes are created automatically by natural laws.
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