Home - Form Finding Lab - Princeton University Form Finding Lab

Welcome

The question should not be “can this structure be built” but rather “should it be built”? Or in addition to safety, stability, serviceability, are elegance, efficiency and economics also taken into account as key factors in the structural design process? An approach that comprises all these parameters requires out-of-the-box thinking for each design project. Civil engineers should use knowledge, ability, experience, fantasy and intuition to find an optimal and unique structural shape for a given set of boundary conditions.

The search for the optimal durable shape is the recurring theme of our research group. Our projects include structural optimization techniques for complex curved surfaces driven by digital fabrication techniques, development of new structural systems, interaction between tension structures and shaping elements and finally restoration and upgrading methodologies for historic “form follows force” structures with a permanent focus on life cycle thinking.

Please feel free to get in touch if you are interested in pursuing collaboration.

Prof. S. Adriaenssens
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Princeton University

PUBLICATION: Form finding and analysis of inflatable dams using dynamic relaxation

Streeter, M; Rhode-Barbarigos, L; Adriaenssens, S. (2014). ‘Form finding and analysis of inflatable dams using dynamic relaxation’. In: Appl. Math. Comput. doi:10.1016/j.amc.2014.12.054

PUBLICATION: Nonlinear Elastic In-Plane Buckling of Shallow Truss Arches

Halpern, A., B.; Adriaenssens, S. (2014). ‘Nonlinear Elastic In-Plane Buckling of Shallow Truss Arches.’ In: ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000725

PUBLICATION: In-plane optimization of truss arch footbridges using serviceability and stability objective functions

Halpern, A.B., Adriaenssens, S., "In-plane optimization of truss arch footbridges using stability and serviceability objective functions", (2014) Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization,DOI 10.1007/s00158

FUNDING: DAYLIGHT HARVESTING THROUGH GEOMETRIC BUILT FORM

We have been awarded the Wilke Family Fund. Our research, positioned at the intersection of computer graphics, architectural design and structural engineering, brings together existing technologies in an innovative daylight harvesting surface.

FUNDING: Spatial Adaptable Rapidly Erectable Building Systems

The Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation has awarded our proposal to form an interdisciplinary partnership between researchers from USA, Republic of Korea and Denmark, and to create a platform for knowledge sharing of state-of the-art research in design of spatial adaptable rapidly erectable building systems.

TALK: STRUCTURAL DESIGN AND FOOTBRIDGES

On December 5th, Lucile Walgenwitz and James Richardson, structural designers at Guy Nordenson Associates, will talk about their experiences designing and building special structures. Join us if you are interested! E 225 11am.

Faculty Fellow: Mc Graw Center for Teaching and Learning

The Mc Graw Center for Teaching and Learning has invited me to become a Faculty Fellow. The Fellows convene their colleagues from across the campus for discussions about teaching and learning, and participate in other events and workshops around pedagogy. I am delighted to be part of this initiative!

TALK: Tensegrity engineering: a journey to integrate structure and control design

Bob Skelton, Professor from UC San Diego will give a talk about his work on tensegrity and control design. Join us Thursday 20th November 4h30pm in Bowen Hall, Auditorium 222

TALK: New engineering materials and methods into the “country of the future”, Brazil

Knut Stockhusen, an architectural engineer from the Schlaich Bergermann Partnership, will talk about the new materials (membrane, ETFE) and systems (spoke wheel principle) brought into Brazil for the 2014 World Cup Stadia as well as the challenges arising from language, cultural disparities, “tropicalisation” and differences in the design process. Nov 21, 2014 11am -12pm Mc Cormick Hall 106

PRIZE: Julia Wilcots wins the Moles Scholarship.

The Moles Scholarships Fund provides scholarships to academically qualified and deserving students. This year on of the Scholarships goes to Julia! Congratulations!

VIDEO: VARIABLE STIFFNESS LATTICE

Yousef Anastas developed the concept of the Variable Stiffness Lattice (VSL) in our Lab. The VSL skin system relies on novel design simulation and fabrication processes that explore elastic deformation mechanisms found in nature. Check out this video. http://vimeo.com/109607861

EXHIBITION: Pier Luigi Nervi. Football Stadia

Based on the research of Mariam Wahed's senior thesis, Mariam and I wrote a comparative chapter on Pier Luigi Nervi football stadia for the catalogue of the exhibition: Pier Luigi Nervi, football stadia. The book is available and the exhibition opens on the 14th of November in the Urban Center in Bologna.

EDITOR: JOURNAL OF SPACE STRUCTURES

With great pleasure and enthusiasm, I have accepted the position of editor of the International Journal of Space Structures as from January 2015 onwards. The aim of the journal is to provide an international forum for the interchange of information on all aspects of analysis, design and construction of space structures.

TALK: FORM FINDING

Prof. Weinand from IBois Laboratory at EPFL, Switzerland has invited us to present our work on Form Finding. You are welcome to come and join us on Friday 3rd of October, IBois Laboratory, EPFL.

TALK:Stadium Cultures in North and South America

We have been invited to have a panel discussion about "Stadium Cultures in North and South America", organized by the Princeton Mellon Forum for Research on the Urban Environment. Join Bruno Carvalho (Spanish/Portuguese), William Gleason (English) and myself in this conversation on Monday 29th Sept, SoA 107 at 12.

TALK: Miami Marine Stadium (FL, USA): restoration of a city’s identity and local pursuit of pleasure

To show that stadia are key to the preservation and future of common life, I have invited Don Worth to give a talk about Miami Marine Stadium (FL, USA) in the ARC510 class on Friday 26th at 10h30am in Marx Hall 101. Join us of you can.