Gao, B., Li, T., Ma, T. et al. (3 more authors) (2018) A Practical Grid Generation Procedure for the Design of Free-form Structures. Computers and Structures, 196. pp. 292-310. ISSN 0045-7949
Abstract
Computer aided design software enables the rapid conceptual creation of a curved surface geometry, whereas it is neither a convenient nor an obvious task for engineers to create a discrete grid structure on a complex surface that meets architectural and aesthetic requirements. This emphasizes the importance of grid generating tools and methods in the initial design stage. This paper presents an efficient design tool for the synthesis of free-form grid structures based on the “guide line” method, employing a fast and straightforward approach which achieves grids with rods of balanced length and fluent lines. The process starts with defining a limited number of curves (named the “guide lines”) on the surface, which are then used to determine the directions of the ‘rods’ of the grid. Two variations of this concept are introduced in this paper: the ‘Guide Line Scaling Method’ (GSM) and the ‘Two Guide Lines with Two End Vertices Method’ (2G2VM). Case studies are provided which illustrate the successful execution of these procedures. The results show that the free-form grid structures generated with the proposed methods feature a regular shape and fluent lines, thereby satisfying aesthetic requirements. These two methods have been programmed into the software ZD-Mesher, enabling rapid grid generation for structural design purposes.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2017 Elsevier. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Computers and Structures. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. Article available under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-ND licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Free-form surface; Grid structure; Guide line; Free form structures; Guide line scaling method |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 03 Nov 2017 12:42 |
Last Modified: | 15 Dec 2023 16:56 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.compstruc.2017.10.006 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:123472 |
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Filename: A practical grid generation procedure- Revised.pdf
Licence: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0