Jammed architectural structures: towards large-scale reversible construction

Abstract

This paper takes a first step in characterizing a novel field of research-Jammed Architectural Structures-where load-bearing architectural structures are automatically aggregated from bulk material. Initiated by the group of Gramazio Kohler Research at ETH Zürich and the Self-Assembly Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this digital fabrication approach fosters a combination of cutting-edge robotic fabrication technology and low-grade building material, shifting the focus from precise assembly of known parts towards controlled aggregation of granular material such as gravel or rocks. Since the structures in this process are produced without additional formwork, are fully reversible, and are produced from local or recycled materials, this pursuit offers a radical new approach to sustainable, economical and structurally sound building construction. The resulting morphologies allow for a convergence of novel aesthetic and structural capabilities, enabling a locally differentiated aggregation of material under digital guidance, and featuring high geometrical flexibility and minimal material waste. This paper considers 1) fundamental research parameters such as design computation and fabrication methods, 2) first results of physical experimentation, and 3) the architectural implications of this research for a unified, material-driven digital design and fabrication process. Full-scale experimentation demonstrates that it is possible to erect building-sized structures that are larger than the work-envelope of the digital fabrication setup.

Construction robotics for designed granular materials: in situ construction with designed granular materials at full architectural scale using a cable-driven parallel robot

“…Yet, especially the unbound state of a granular material is highly pertinent in this specific field, as it allows to move between liquid-and solidlike states (de Gennes 1998(de Gennes , 1999Jaeger et al 1996a, b). The resulting architectural structures are, thus, entirely recyclable and reconfigurable (Hensel et al 2010;Hensel and Menges 2008a, b;Aejmelaeus-Lindström et al 2016;Keller and Jaeger 2016;Dierichs andMenges 2012, 2016).…”

“…Designed granular materials in architecture are a relatively new area of research in architectural design and construction (Aejmelaeus-Lindström et al 2016;Keller and Jaeger 2016;Dierichs and Menges 2016;Menges 2006, 2008a, b). Precedent projects have been conducted at Cranbrook Academy of Art, the Architectural Association, Rice University, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Aejmelaeus-Lindström et al 2016;Dörfler et al 2014;Fig. 1 ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018. a The ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018 is the first architectural spatial enclosure constructed with designed granular materials. b It has been constructed using a cabledriven parallel robot, which has been installed in an industrial hall.…”

Mechanics of randomly packed filaments—The “bird nest” as meta-material

“…Architects and artists have recently demonstrated the elegance and practical versatility that comes with embracing disorder and self-assembly instead of prescriptive control to build reconfigurable structures of emergent stability. This has been demonstrated both through choice of particle geometry 69,77-79 and composite granular/fibrous building material 71,80 . Where these and other applications make use of when and how grains jam, the richness in their mechanical response to deformation has not been harnessed to similar effect.…”

Quest for improving service life of asphalt roads

“…This paper gives examples of selected efforts and research initiatives in that direction during the last decades based on own experience and involvement in projects within the road engineering/sealing components lab at Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology (Empa) [3,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]27] and both the highway/railways engineering and building materials group at Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) [24][25][26][27][28]. Some of these activities are closely linked to the work within different international technical committees of the International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures (Rilem), e.g.…”