Challenges of Scale Modelling Material Behaviour of Additive-Manufactured Nodes

Abstract

The application of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies promises much innovation across the manufacturing sector, and has generated great interest in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. This paper presents and reflects upon early prototypes for integrating AM in a construction application, through the design of a prototype frame structure with linear members connected by nodes of unique shapes. As an enabler for design, a system is developed and implemented to integrate expertise across architecture, structural engineering and advanced manufacturing in order to design and detail components for single layer canopies. This includes the topology optimisation and additive manufacture of nodes, both of which require the control of material behaviour at small scales. A scaled pavilion structure and full-scale node prototypes were successfully realised. However, this first stage of research presented a number of challenges to modelling material behaviour across scales—both the physical size and production volumes.