Description

Material properties are not involved in the geometric form finding and there is no experimental data on the actual mechanical behavior of such systems. This research will explore the structural performance of a funicular polyhedral geometry using experimental testing. The geometry of the physical prototype for the presented study is designed using 3DGS method. The specimen is constructed as a cast-in-place concrete structure, and the geometry of the sample is comparable to the standard concrete cylindrical test. High-performance, self-consolidating concrete is used for casting. Experimental results validated the 3DGS force distribution in the structure and showed that the magnitude of internal force in the members of the sample can be accurately predicted by 3DGS as long as the ultimate strength of the specimen is known. Moreover, the experimental results reveal that local bucking and failure does not immediately cause the global failure of the system due to the indeterminacy of the funicular geometry. The efficiency of the spatial funicular system is also verified as all members of the specimen simultaneously collapsed under their maximum strength.