On Structural Behavior of a Funicular Concrete Polyhedral Frame Designed by 3D Graphic Statics

This paper investigates the mechanical behavior of the first built funicular structure designed by 3D graphic statics (3DGS) using reciprocal polyhedral diagrams. Graphic statics methods are unique among other structural design techniques in providing an intuitive control over the form of the structure and its equilibrium of forces for designers. Since graphic statics does not include material properties in the form finding process, further numerical investigations to foresee the behavior of the system under loading scenarios other than the 3DGS design loads are unavoidable. This research reports the structural behavior of Hedracrete which is a prefab, concrete, polyhedral frame with both compression and tension members. A simplified (bar-node) and a detailed volumetric mesh model of the structure are numerically analyzed under eight different loading scenarios. Different combinations of linear and nonlinear material behavior for steel and concrete in addition to linear and quadratic element types are used in those analyses. The analyses are planned to initially verify the equilibrium results of the 3DGS model and to predict the maximum load-bearing capacity of the structure by studying the failure mechanism of the system.