The Structural Conception in Architecture in the Digital Era, Between Aesthetics and Ethics

In the past the technological invention has often governed the creation of innovative forms (Roman concrete, steel, reinforced concrete, etc.), with the result of a substantial correspondence between conception and realisation. In the electronic and digital era, this role seems to be entrusted to the mathematical-numerical instrumentation offered by software. With the evolution of computational tools and numerical skills, the ability to design structural shapes has also become extremely refined, often in a direction that transcends the requirements of optimal mechanical performance, thanks to algorithms for generating purely geometric shapes. With the widespread of ‘deconstructed’, ‘non-linear’, ‘virtual’ architectures, the invention of new shapes seems to want to be free from the need to contemplate the various components of the design process, and in particular from the constructive one, often generating a dichotomy between represented and conformed architecture. In this context, it seems interesting to understand, with the help of some examples, how architecture can preserve a tectonic ethic ( firmitas) in the digital age. Is it possible to exploit structural optimisation algorithms or artificial intelligence software for generating new forms in which the structural component maintains a significant role (with undoubted practical advantages)? Is it possible, albeit in a completely transformed formal context, to contribute to recovering a unitary conception of the design process, still conceived as a synthesis of all the Vitruvian components, which makes it possible to finalize the design towards effectively buildable forms, that do not fall, as paradoxically often happens, into automatisms of repetitive figurativeness

Topology optimization of scale-dependent non-local plates

The main objective of this work is to extend finite element-based topology optimization problem to the two-dimensional, size-dependent structures described using weakly non-local Cosserat (micropolar) and strongly non-local Eringen’s theories, the latter of which finds an application for the first time, to the best of Authors’ knowledge. The optimum material layouts that minimize the structural compliance are attained by means of Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization approach, while the desired smooth, mesh-independent, binary solutions are obtained using density filter accompanied by volume preserving Heaviside projection method. The algorithms are enhanced by including an element removal and reintroduction strategy to reduce the computational cost, and to prevent spurious excessive distortion of elements with very low density. Example problems of practical importance are investigated under the assumption of linear elasticity to validate the code and to clearly demonstrate the influence of internal length scales and different non-locality mechanisms on final configurations. Obtained macro-scale optimum topologies admit the characteristics of corresponding continuum theories, and appear to be in agreement with the mechanical response governed by particle interactions in micro/nanoscale

Composite material identification as micropolar continua via an optimization approach

A strategy based on material homogenization and heuristic optimization for the structural identification of composite materials is proposed. The objective is the identification of the constitutive properties of a micropolar continuum model employed to describe the mechanical behaviour of a composite material made of rigid blocks and thin elastic interfaces. The micropolar theory (Cosserat) has been proved to be capable of properly accounting for the particles arrangements as well as their size and orientation. The constitutive parameters of the composite materials, characterized by different textures and dimensions of the rigid blocks, are identified through a homogenization procedure. Thus, the identification is repeated exploiting the static or modal response of the composite materials and using the Differential Evolution algorithm. The benchmark structures assumed as target are represented by discrete models implemented in ABAQUS where the blocks and the elastic interfaces are modelled by rigid bodies and elastic interfaces, respectively. The obtained results show that proposed strategies provide accurate results paving the way to the experimental validation and in field applications

Fast statistical homogenization procedure (FSHP) for particle random composites using virtual element method

Mechanical behaviour of particle composite materials is growing of interest to engineering applications. A computational homogenization procedure in conjunction with a statistical approach have been successfully adopted for the definition of the representative volume element (RVE) size, that in random media is an unknown of the problem, and of the related equivalent elastic moduli. Drawback of such a statistical approach to homogenization is the high computational cost, which prevents the possibility to perform series of parametric analyses. In this work, we propose a so-called fast statistical homogenization procedure (FSHP) developed within an integrated framework that automates all the steps to perform. Furthermore within the FSHP, we adopt the numerical framework of the virtual element method for numerical simulations to reduce the computational burden. The computational strategies and the discretization adopted allow us to efficiently solve the series (hundreds) of simulations and to rapidly converge to the RVE size detection

Optimal sensors placement in dynamic damage detection of beams using a statistical approach

Structural monitoring plays a central role in civil engineering; in particular, optimal sensor positioning is essential for correct monitoring both in terms of usable data and for optimizing the cost of the setup sensors. In this context, we focus our attention on the identification of the dynamic response of beam-like structures with uncertain damages. In particular, the non-localized damage is described using a Gaussian distributed random damage parameter. Furthermore, a procedure for selecting an optimal number of sensor placements has been presented based on the comparison among the probability of damage occurrence and the probability to detect the damage, where the former can be evaluated from the known distribution of the random parameter, whereas the latter is evaluated exploiting the closed-form asymptotic solution provided by a perturbation approach. The presented case study shows the capability and reliability of the proposed procedure for detecting the minimum number of sensors such that the monitoring accuracy (estimated by an error function measuring the differences among the two probabilities) is not greater than a control small value

Preface: Multiscale and multiphysics modeling of “complex” materials and engineering applications

none3noN.A.mixedTrovalusci P.; Fantuzzi N.; De Bellis M.L.Trovalusci P.; Fantuzzi N.; De Bellis M.L

Performance of a school hosted within a historical complex affected by the 2016 seismic sequence

Immediately after the August 24th, 2016, earthquake in Central Italy, universities have been asked to inspect schools and assess their usability, under the coordination of ReLUIS (Rete Laboratori Universitari Ingegneria Sismica = Earthquake Engineering University Laboratories Network). Later on, about one hundred schools deemed as unfit to use have been evaluated in order to establish if it was possible to repair them before September 2017 or if it was more appropriate to build a new school. Among investigated buildings there are not only those in the epicentral area, but also some located even 30-45 km from the epicentres of the main events. One of those is the music high school located in Teramo, Abruzzi region, housed within the former monastery of San Giovanni a Scorzone established in 1384. The seismic vulnerability of the building was investigated in 2014 according to the Italian Building Standard. Based on the documentation produced therein, observations made after the August event, and a new inspection carried out in December 2016, the building has been assessed according to the procedure proposed after the Emilia 2012 Earthquakes. Despite ground shaking not being very severe, due to high vulnerability, the performance was that of a damage level 2 (damage between significant and severe), with important distress to non-structural elements. Such performances call into question the suitability of housing critical functions in historical buildings that, however, can suffer an accelerated decay if left unused and, thus, unmaintained

Micromodels for the in-plane failure analysis of masonry walls with friction: Limit analysis and dem-fem/dem approaches

Despite its complexity, the accurate structural modelling of masonry still represents an active field of research, due to several practical applications in civil engineering, with special reference to the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage. In this work a comparison of different models and techniques for the assessment of the mechanical behaviour of two-dimensional block masonry walls subjected to the static action of in-plane loads is presented. Panels are characterized by different height-to-width ratio as well as various masonry textures. Brick-block masonry, perceived as a jointed assembly of prismatic particles in dry contact, is modelled as a discrete system of rigid blocks interacting through contact surfaces unable to carry tension and resistant to sliding by friction, modelled as zero thickness elasto-plastic Mohr-Coulomb interfaces. Different approaches and numerical models are considered: Limit Analysis (LA), Discrete Element Model (DEM) and Finite Ele-ments/Discrete Element Model (FEM/DEM). Limit Analysis is able to provide fast and reliable results in term of collapse multiplier and relative kinematism. Here a standard Limit Analysis is adopted via an own made procedure based on Linear Mathematical Programming, taking into account friction at interfaces

Torsional characteristics of carbon nanotubes: Micropolar elasticity models and molecular dynamics simulation

Efficient application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in nano-devices and nano-materials requires comprehensive understanding of their mechanical properties. As observations suggest size dependent behaviour, non-classical theories preserving the memory of body’s internal structure via additional material parameters offer great potential when a continuum modelling is to be preferred. In the present study, micropolar theory of elasticity is adopted due to its peculiar character allowing for incorporation of scale effects through additional kinematic descriptors and work-conjugated stress measures. An optimisation approach is presented to provide unified material parameters for two specific class of single-walled carbon nanotubes (e.g., armchair and zigzag) by minimizing the difference between the apparent shear modulus obtained from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and micropolar beam model considering both solid and tubular cross-sections. The results clearly reveal that micropolar theory is more suitable compared to internally constraint couple stress theory, due to the essentiality of having skew-symmetric stress and strain measures, as well as to the classical local theory (Cauchy of Grade 1), which cannot accounts for scale effects. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that unified material parameters of CNTs are derived through a combined MD-micropolar continuum theory