Understanding the mechanics of complex topology of the 3D printed Anthill architecture

Abstract

Objectives The present work aimed to investigate the deformation behavior of complex ant mound architectures under compression. Methods We have used the cement casting method to extract four different ant nest morphologies. These casted cement structures were digitalized using a 3D micro-computer tomography (CT) scan. The digitized structures were simulated under different loading conditions using Finite Element Methods (FEM). In order to supplement the numerical understanding, the digital architectures were 3D printed and experimentally tested under uniaxial loading conditions. Results Ants produce a variety of complex architectures for adapting to the surrounding environment and ants’ needs. Ant mound consists of at least one pillar with a broad base tapered towards its tip. Anthill architectures have unique topological features. Mechanical strength of ant mould can be 600 times enhanced by tuning topology. Thickness and angle of pillars have huge effect on load-bearing property Conclusion The branched structures can endure larger stress and deform in the process under a volumetric pressure application, making them sacrificial units for extreme disasters like floods and earthquakes. The 3D printing experiments and Finite Element Methods simulations are needed to tackle the complex ant mound architectures and appear in good agreement, suggesting a robust design and thus the possibility of constructing anthill-inspired civil buildings with a tree-trunk-like geometry.

A Review of Ant Nests and Their Implications for Architecture

“…Topological optimisation methods, which produce the greatest results by optimising the design in the appropriate constraint space, can be used to enhance the design of complicated structures [38]. In 2022, Kushwaha et al [39] investigated the mechanical robustness of 3D-printed anthill constructions, which is currently unique in the literature. The team extracted four distinct nest types using cement casting.…”

Unleashing Enhanced Compressive Strength: 3D Printed Octopus-Inspired Suction Cups Using Topological Engineering

“…3 The layered hierarchical structures in the bamboo, junction of dental enamel, anthill, tortoise shells, and nacre have inspired the development of components with high fracture resistance/toughness. 4,5 All of these creatures or objects in nature are very complex in design and integrated with specific functionality. Therefore, the different designs that exist in nature require mimicking and studying their functionality and establishing the nature rules of design.…”

“…The academic and industrial research devoted to mimicking the design and functionality of natural existing objects such as a robotic arm inspired by an elephant trunk, a three-dimensional (3D) printed soft robotic gripper inspired by cabbage curl leaf, and a building block inspired by honey bee wax . The layered hierarchical structures in the bamboo, junction of dental enamel, anthill, tortoise shells, and nacre have inspired the development of components with high fracture resistance/toughness. , All of these creatures or objects in nature are very complex in design and integrated with specific functionality. Therefore, the different designs that exist in nature require mimicking and studying their functionality and establishing the nature rules of design.…”

Generating 3D architectured nature-inspired materials and granular media using diffusion models based on language cues

“…While significant progress has been made, the exploration of novel architectures, and the use of unconventional sources as a body of knowledge to derive hierarchical structural designs, remains a challenge. One source for material design solutions is the use of biologically inspired paradigms, where a growing body of knowledge has contributed to new explorations in materials research [ 8–15 ].…”

“…Here, we focus on translations from the corpus of language-image pairings as captured in Stable Diffusion, toward 3D material design explorations. We are specifically interested to explore bio-inspired design cues, where we seek to translate patterns found in natural systems such as spider webs [ 36–39 ], wood microstructures [ 40–42 ] or protein patterns [ 33 , 43 , 44 ] into innovative material architectures, building on earlier bio-inspired design work [ 8–15 ].…”