Realisation of complex precast concrete structures through the integration of algorithmic design and novel fabrication techniques

This paper describes a novel method for constructing complex concrete
structures from small-scale individualized elements. The method was developed
through the investigation of laser cutting, folding and concrete casting in PETG
plastic sheets and funicular grid shell simulations as a generator of complex
geometry. In two full-scale experiments, grid shell structures have been designed
and built at Aarhus School of Architecture and the University of Technology,
Sydney, in 2011 and 2012. The novel design method is described as an iterative
process, negotiating both physical and digital constraints. This involves
consideration of the relations between geometry and technique, as well as the use
of form-finding and simulation algorithms for shaping and optimising the shape of
the structure. Custom-made scripts embedded in 3D-modeling tools were used for
producing the information necessary for realising the construction comprised of
discrete concrete elements.