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Skyscrapers are among the most distinctive building types of the modern age. Since many resources are attributed to these buildings, their design should consider a proper performance‐based construction economy and environmental sustainable development. This research introduces a new concept for a bundled tall building founded on the use of a multi‐core‐outrigger system, which is additionally enriched with diagrid structures. The concept is inspired by the bamboo plant and follows the biomimetic design principles for the structural organization and performance‐based criteria for optimizing the lateral stiffness and for shaping the cross section. Particularly, the incident wind speed is maximized to exploit Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs), which are located along the whole building height at the center of the bundled towers. The building morphogenesis is accomplished by a multistep methodology that is fully developed in a parametric environment and includes structural and computational fluid dynamic analyses. With the aim of validating the proposed concept, a case study of a 320‐m‐tall three‐core building has been designed for the city of Pisa, Italy. The use of VAWTs results in an annual emissions reduction of about 10 kgCO2/m2.
Francesco Laccone; Alberto Casali; Marco Sodano; Maurizio Froli. Morphogenesis of a bundled tall building: Biomimetic, structural, and wind‐energy design of a multi‐core‐outrigger system combined with diagrid. The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings 2021, 30, e1839 .
AMA StyleFrancesco Laccone, Alberto Casali, Marco Sodano, Maurizio Froli. Morphogenesis of a bundled tall building: Biomimetic, structural, and wind‐energy design of a multi‐core‐outrigger system combined with diagrid. The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings. 2021; 30 (6):e1839.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesco Laccone; Alberto Casali; Marco Sodano; Maurizio Froli. 2021. "Morphogenesis of a bundled tall building: Biomimetic, structural, and wind‐energy design of a multi‐core‐outrigger system combined with diagrid." The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings 30, no. 6: e1839.
The paper introduces a novel concept for structural glass shells that is based on the mechanical coupling of double curved heat-bent glass panels and a wire frame mesh, which constitutes a grid of unbonded edge-reinforcement. Additionally, this grid has the purpose of providing redundancy. The panels have load-bearing function, they are clamped at the vertices and dry-assembled. The main novelty lies in the use of polygonal curved panels with a nodal force transfer mechanism. This concept has been validated on an illustrative design case of a 6 m-diameter suspended glass sphere, in which regular pentagonal and hexagonal spherical panels are employed. The good strength and stiffness achieved for this structure is demonstrated by means of local and global FE models. Another fundamental feature of the concept is that the reinforcement grid provides residual strength in the extreme scenarios in which all panels are completely failed. A quantitative measure of redundancy is obtained by comparing this scenario with the ULS.
Maurizio Froli; Francesco Laccone. Conceptual design and FEM structural response of a suspended glass sphere made of reinforced curved polygonal panels. Glass Structures & Engineering 2020, 1 -22.
AMA StyleMaurizio Froli, Francesco Laccone. Conceptual design and FEM structural response of a suspended glass sphere made of reinforced curved polygonal panels. Glass Structures & Engineering. 2020; ():1-22.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaurizio Froli; Francesco Laccone. 2020. "Conceptual design and FEM structural response of a suspended glass sphere made of reinforced curved polygonal panels." Glass Structures & Engineering , no. : 1-22.
We propose an optimization algorithm for the design of post‐tensioned architectural shell structures, composed of triangular glass panels, in which glass has a load‐bearing function. Due to its brittle nature, glass can fail when it is subject to tensile forces. Hence, we enrich the structure with a cable net, which is specifically designed to post‐tension the shell, relieving the underlying glass structure from tension. We automatically derive an optimized cable layout, together with the appropriate pre‐load of each cable. The method is driven by a physically based static analysis of the shell subject to its service load. We assess our approach by applying non‐linear finite element analysis to several real‐scale application scenarios. Such a method of cable tensioning produces glass shells that are optimized from the material usage viewpoint since they exploit the high compression strength of glass. As a result, they are lightweight and robust. Both aesthetic and static qualities are improved with respect to grid shell competitors.
Francesco Laccone; Luigi Malomo; Maurizio Froli; Paolo Cignoni; Nico Pietroni. Automatic Design of Cable‐Tensioned Glass Shells. Computer Graphics Forum 2019, 39, 260 -273.
AMA StyleFrancesco Laccone, Luigi Malomo, Maurizio Froli, Paolo Cignoni, Nico Pietroni. Automatic Design of Cable‐Tensioned Glass Shells. Computer Graphics Forum. 2019; 39 (1):260-273.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesco Laccone; Luigi Malomo; Maurizio Froli; Paolo Cignoni; Nico Pietroni. 2019. "Automatic Design of Cable‐Tensioned Glass Shells." Computer Graphics Forum 39, no. 1: 260-273.
A novel isolation device is introduced to seismically protect slender structures or historic assets within the philosophy of Damage Avoidance Design (DAD). This device is conceived to allow smooth, controlled and damped rocking thanks to spherical contact surfaces, elastic springs which ensure re-centering, frictional layers and viscous elastic dampers able to dissipate energy during motion. The conceptual framework of the device is analyzed, and corresponding equations of motions obtained for the equivalent two degrees-of-freedom system. The proposed Performance Based Approach allows identifying geometric and mechanical features of the system. Extensive dynamic analyses with spectra-compatible ground motions are performed and the primary contribution of friction, developed by the relative slip of the two spherical surfaces, is discussed. Finally, the dynamic response under selected earthquakes is evaluated by comparing the isolated and the corresponding not isolated response, to highlight the beneficial effects produced by the proposed isolation technique.
Maurizio Froli; Linda Giresini; Francesco Laccone. Dynamics of a new seismic isolation device based on tribological smooth rocking (TROCKSISD). Engineering Structures 2019, 193, 154 -169.
AMA StyleMaurizio Froli, Linda Giresini, Francesco Laccone. Dynamics of a new seismic isolation device based on tribological smooth rocking (TROCKSISD). Engineering Structures. 2019; 193 ():154-169.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaurizio Froli; Linda Giresini; Francesco Laccone. 2019. "Dynamics of a new seismic isolation device based on tribological smooth rocking (TROCKSISD)." Engineering Structures 193, no. : 154-169.
Lightweight, transparent, long-spanned, and high-rise constructions characterize the vision of many architects. Glass is at present the best-performing material where high transparency and durability are the main requisites, but its brittleness limits its ability to provide structural engineered solutions. Large-spanned glass beams are most often built with multiple splice lamination, but this technique presents some problems, such as increased dead load and lack of redundancy, ductility, structural hierarchy, and economy. An alternative strategy has been developed in the form of multiple segmented bolted beams, but the holes this requires inevitably weaken the glass. Using the results of a 10-year-long theoretical and experimental study carried out at the University of Pisa and following the principles of fail-safe design, the main purpose of this work is to present a new static concept for hybrid, segmented, esogen–endogen-compressed, and buckling-restrained glass structures. This concept represents the latest evolution of both the Travi Vitree Tensegrity (TVT) and the Solidi Vitrei Tensegrity (SVT) constructional systems. Finite element models (FEM) calibrated on the experimental findings demonstrate the feasibility of the new concept and its good performance at the ultimate and serviceability-limit states.
Maurizio Froli; Francesco Laccone. Static Concept for Long-Span and High-Rise Glass Structures. Journal of Architectural Engineering 2018, 24, 04017030 .
AMA StyleMaurizio Froli, Francesco Laccone. Static Concept for Long-Span and High-Rise Glass Structures. Journal of Architectural Engineering. 2018; 24 (1):04017030.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaurizio Froli; Francesco Laccone. 2018. "Static Concept for Long-Span and High-Rise Glass Structures." Journal of Architectural Engineering 24, no. 1: 04017030.
Grid shells supporting transparent or opaque panels are largely used to cover long-spanned spaces because of their lightness, the easy setup, and economy. This paper presents the results of experimental static and dynamic investigations carried out on a large-scale free-form grid shell mock-up, whose geometry descended from an innovative Voronoi polygonal pattern. Accompanying finite-element method (FEM) simulations followed. To these purposes, a four-step procedure was adopted: (1) a perfect FEM model was analyzed; (2) using the modal shapes scaled by measuring the mock-up, a deformed unloaded geometry was built, which took into account the defects caused by the assembly phase; (3) experimental static tests were executed by affixing weights to the mock-up, and a simplified representative FEM model was calibrated, choosing the nodes stiffness and the material properties as parameters; and (4) modal identification was performed through operational modal analysis and impulsive tests, and then, a simplified FEM dynamical model was calibrated. Due to the high deformability of the mock-up, only a symmetric load case configuration was adopted.
Maurizio Froli; Francesco Laccone. Experimental static and dynamic tests on a large-scale free-form Voronoi grid shell mock-up in comparison with finite-element method results. International Journal of Advanced Structural Engineering 2017, 9, 293 -308.
AMA StyleMaurizio Froli, Francesco Laccone. Experimental static and dynamic tests on a large-scale free-form Voronoi grid shell mock-up in comparison with finite-element method results. International Journal of Advanced Structural Engineering. 2017; 9 (3):293-308.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaurizio Froli; Francesco Laccone. 2017. "Experimental static and dynamic tests on a large-scale free-form Voronoi grid shell mock-up in comparison with finite-element method results." International Journal of Advanced Structural Engineering 9, no. 3: 293-308.
In contemporary buildings, the architectural demand for a complete dematerialisation of load bearing structures can be satisfied only in limited cases with the exclusive structural use of glass. Otherwise, for challenging applications such as long spanned or high-rise structures, the use of hybrid glass-steel systems is mandatory. Glass, fragile but highly compressive resistant, is associated with steel, ductile and tensile resistant. The present research shows the feasibility study for a fully glazed pavilion made of six TVT (Travi Vitree Tensegrity) portal frames longitudinally braced by pre-stressed hybrid glass panels. The frames are about 20 m in span and 8 m in height. Appropriate multiscalar FEM numerical analyses, calibrated on the collapse tests performed on previous TVT large-scale prototypes, stated that the structural performance would be able to withstand heavy static and dynamic loads and stated the observance of the Fail-Safe Design principles.
Maurizio Froli; Francesco Laccone; Dario Maesano. The TVT Glass Pavilion: Theoretical Study on a Highly Transparent Building Made with Long-Spanned TVT Portals Braced with Hybrid Glass-Steel Panels. Buildings 2017, 7, 50 .
AMA StyleMaurizio Froli, Francesco Laccone, Dario Maesano. The TVT Glass Pavilion: Theoretical Study on a Highly Transparent Building Made with Long-Spanned TVT Portals Braced with Hybrid Glass-Steel Panels. Buildings. 2017; 7 (4):50.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaurizio Froli; Francesco Laccone; Dario Maesano. 2017. "The TVT Glass Pavilion: Theoretical Study on a Highly Transparent Building Made with Long-Spanned TVT Portals Braced with Hybrid Glass-Steel Panels." Buildings 7, no. 4: 50.
The time–space distribution of eigen-stresses and residual deformations of a plane plate which reaches its final solid state through a given transition process of non-uniform cooling is described here by means of a simple visco-elastic rheological model. The aging processes of the elastic and viscous properties are supposed to be temperature dependant in order to directly control the influence of the thermal history on the final stress and deformation conditions of the solid. The model is able to reproduce qualitatively well the development of eigen-stresses in the spatially symmetrical cooling processes of tempering or toughening, as well as the formation of eigen-stresses and permanent bending in the spatially asymmetrical cooling processes of heat curving.
Giovanni Buratti; Maurizio Froli. Rheological modelling of residual stresses and deformations of plates during non-uniform cooling. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 2007, 49, 1366 -1376.
AMA StyleGiovanni Buratti, Maurizio Froli. Rheological modelling of residual stresses and deformations of plates during non-uniform cooling. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. 2007; 49 (12):1366-1376.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanni Buratti; Maurizio Froli. 2007. "Rheological modelling of residual stresses and deformations of plates during non-uniform cooling." International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 49, no. 12: 1366-1376.
A simple analytical extension of Hermite–Bresson's results to the domain of the irreversible relative displacements allows the description of the non-linear force–displacement response of a tensile bar embedded in a massive support by means of an elastic–plastic bonding agent. The analytical model evidences the influence of the main governing parameters on the attainment of two ideal anchorage conditions of plasticity initiation occurring in the bar simultaneously with that of the bond material (anchorage length LIP), or of plasticity initiation occurring in the bar just after the complete yielding of this one (anchorage length LCP). The ratio between the expressions of these two anchorage lengths reveals an interesting, compact mathematical form of eloquent mechanical meaning which allows the immediate determination of anchorage length LIP.
Maurizio Froli. Analytical remarks on the anchorage of elastic–plastically bonded ductile bars. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 2007, 49, 589 -596.
AMA StyleMaurizio Froli. Analytical remarks on the anchorage of elastic–plastically bonded ductile bars. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. 2007; 49 (5):589-596.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaurizio Froli. 2007. "Analytical remarks on the anchorage of elastic–plastically bonded ductile bars." International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 49, no. 5: 589-596.