A Proposal for a New Type of Prefabricated Stone Wall

Abstract

International audienceThis article deals with the proposal of a stone prefabricated structure. Today, prefabrication promises convenience when applied to the construction industry, in terms of project costs abatement, ecology and final results quality. Notwithstanding, it implies some technological expedients that cannot be overlooked and that should be solved with an accurate engineering effort. Furthermore, freestone manifests qualities related to sustainable development, durability and aesthetic that lead us to want to extend this material use in contemporary architecture. Our proposal combines these issues. We present a design description of a sandwich structure in dimension stone and an analysis of its mechanical behavior that could confirm it responds positively to all the typical loading conditions of a prefabricated structure. In conclusion, we also report a record of a first constructive experimentation performed on this type of structure as a further confirmation of its efficacy

Manufacture and Mechanics of Topologically Interlocked Material Assemblies

“…Rigid scaffolds were shown in the context of a gravity and robotic assembly. The gravity-assisted assembly approach has been the method used to assemble stereotomy-based structures through the ages and was recently reported as the method of choice for the assembly of topologically interlocked wall structures [40]. The experience of the authors is that this method is also viable for assembles with large number of unit elements but requires user interference to correct the position incorrectly located unit elements, especially when considering assemblies with a large number of individual elements.…”

“…On the other hand, and TIM systems made of unit elements of meter size have been considered in building applications. Self-weight of the unit elements then leads to a selection of manufacturing processes which actively employ self-weight [40]. In the mechanical response, self-weight then exceeds that of external loads [15][16][17].…”

“…Once the desired assembly is completed, the fourth edge of the frame is put in place to constrain the assembly and a complete TIM system is obtained. This approach has been documented as successful for the assembly of TIM systems for civil engineering applications, i.e., the construction of a TIM wall for a building structure [40].…”

Topological interlocking in buildings: A case for the design and construction of floors

“…[11] An interesting review on stereotomic design, which focuses on the design and fabrication of wall and domed/curved ceilings can be found in a recent book by Fallacara and Minenna [4]. Another research, which was not included in the book and aims to create a commercial wall based on stereotomic design, can be found in Brocato et al [1]. It suggests a new type of prefabricated stone wall in wooden frame, which is inspired by Aberille's 17th century assembly.…”

“…9a). This process can be done while the frame is vertical (similar to the method presented in Brocato et al [1]), or horizontal.…”