IASS 2016 in Tokyo, Japan

Sean Ahlquist and Julian Lienhard will present their research paper "Extending Geometric and Structural Capacities for Textile Hybrid Structures with Laminated GFRP Beams and CNC Knitting" at the IASS Conference in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday 29 September 2016.

Abstract

A textile hybrid structure is defined by the interaction of bending-active elements and tensile (form-active) surfaces. The bending-active capacity is ideally captured with the use of GFRP rods, given their ideal ratio of high strength to low bending stiffness. This research addresses the challenges in advancing the geometric properties and structural behavior of bending-active glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) rod structures. To overcome the geometric and structural limitations of single cross-section GFRP rod systems, this research introduces the use of laminated GFRP beam structures through composite forming with custom knitted sleeves. This paper will show how the material method allows for more complex differentiated geometries to be realized, and the inclusion of bending-active stiffness at the scale of the whole system greatly increases structural capacities for the overall textile hybrid architecture.