Hybrid Structural Skin

The simulation and construction of elastic gridshells in composite materials is nowadays a technique that one can consider mastered. The bracing of the grid in its final form remains however a time consuming step with a lot of manual work. The lack of alternatives to membrane covering is also an important limitation to the development of such technology. The proposed paper tries to tackle both issues through a novel concept of a hybrid structural skin made of an elastic gridshell braced with a concrete envelope. The idea is to use the gridshell as a formwork for the concrete and to guarantee a mechanical connection between the thin concrete skin and the main grid, so that the concrete ensures the bracing of the grid and that the thickness of the concrete is reduced to a minimum. To demonstrate the feasibility and interest of this structural concept, a 10 m2 prototype has been built. The main aspects of the design and of the realization of the prototype are presented here (including detailing and mix design).

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