PARAMETRIC DESIGN AND STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCES OF A LIGHT METALLIC STRUCTURE

The paper presents aspects from a multidisciplinary research program to develop an application of free-form type, using smart digital design tools as generative design (GD) and modern manufacturing processes - digital fabrication (DF), by exploiting the deformation properties of conventional metallic materials. At international level, the idea of incorporating the material behavior into generative design is at the beginning, so the paper objective of developing free-form type architectural modules by considering the material properties quantification is a current priority, having direct applicability. The authors investigated curved folded structural elements made of sheet metal, focusing on free-form columns that evoke the classical architectural orders. The structural issues were addressed by implementing both digital and physical load simulation, which in turn influences the process of finding the optimal shape of the object.