Design and simulation of an actively controlled building unit

Abstract

Conflagrations often lead to catastrophic phenomena in several countries across the globe during the summer period. Such phenomena advocate for multidisciplinary research activities including on- and off-site investigations of data-collection and evaluation as well as event-based virtual scenarios and action solutions respectively. In this framework, a temporary building unit is proposed to host single researchers in remote environments. The unit consists of a lightweight structure that can be easily erected and actively controlled. The unit is supported on four diagonals anchored to the ground and it has a circular horizontal and an elliptical vertical section. The core consists of a glass-fiber polymer (GFRP) cone base at its lower level, vertically positioned GFRP bending-active strips and a GFRP cone at its upper level. The cones are vertically connected through tendons that are activated by linear motion actuators. The structure consists of a double layer gridshell of GFRP bending-active rods and a semitransparent ETFE membrane with embedded thin-film CIGS photovoltaics. Sensors on the membrane transfer continuously the external wind pressure to a control system for the adjustment of the spatial shape of the unit through the tendons. The paper displays the design of the unit in its components, and emphasizes on its adaptivity features with regard to the structural deformability in parametric associative design logic. The methodology followed serves as a basis for further iterative analyses with regard to the form optimization of the structural elements, the system’s load-deformation and dynamic behavior.