Load-Bearing Capacity and Deformation of Jammed Architectural Structures

Abstract

Abstract The Jammed Architectural Structures (JAS), presented in this article, are 3D-printed fully reversible architectural elements, composed of low-cost loose bulk material, and string reinforcement. The material system is based on crushed stones (known from the railroad industry) and recycled string. If poured without any containment, the stones naturally form a pile. However, in the case of our JAS, a robotically placed string is applied to confine and transform the bulk material into geometrically differentiated structures at an architectural scale. Since this is a nonstandard material system, a combination of techniques from the fields of architecture and materials science is necessary to, first, understand the material behavior and consequently to inform the processes of design and construction. This article investigates the load-bearing capacities and the deformation of our JAS by presenting results from a series of uniaxial compression tests and fiber-optic measurements. Findings from these tests serve to inform the generative logic of the string layout, which is not only key to the design of our JAS but also responsible for the material properties of the system. The developed methods are validated at an architectural scale through the design and construction of a wall segment loaded with concrete slabs. The presented results prove that the string/stone material system has the potential of becoming an actual load-bearing building material and forms the basis for material-informed design strategies for JAS.