Abstract:The very rapid growth in wind energy technology in the last 15 years has led to a rapid growth in the amount of non-biodegradable, thermosetting fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials used in wind turbine blades. This paper discusses conceptual architectural and structural options for recycling these blades by reusing parts of wind turbine blades in new or retrofitted housing projects. It focuses on large-sized FRP pieces that can be salvaged from the turbine blades and can potentially be useful in infrastructure projects where harsh environmental conditions (water and high humidity) exist. Since reuse design should be for specific regional locations and architectural characteristics the designs presented in this paper are for the coastal regions of the Yucatan province in Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico where low-quality masonry block informal housing is vulnerable to severe hurricanes and flooding. To demonstrate the concept a prototype 100 m long wind blade model developed by Sandia National Laboratories is used to show how a wind blade can be broken down into parts, thus making it possible to envision architectural applications for the different wind blade segments for housing applications.

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This paper outlines a method of using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software to study the behavior of materials, geometries, and configurations to create an iterative design feedback loop for generating and refining complex configurations of form-active surfaces. The method integrates technical feedback on structural performance -material stresses, deformations and elastic buckling potential -while respecting design intention and promoting constructability, improved structural performance, and syntactic consistency. Instead of the 2-dimensional (planar) technology which drove modernist analysis towards the structural hyper-rationality of the trabeated system, this new process compiles and synthesizes computational speed, mathematic principles, mechanical knowledge, and material logics within a digital 3-dimensional (spatial) analytical environment in order to realize a new paradigm of constructible complex surface structures. The research focuses on the development of structural performance criteria for form-active structures and interoperability techniques/protocols between advanced CAD systems and advanced structural analysis systems in order to create a fluid design + analysis process of generating and engineering complex form-active designs.

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