Zhang Zhiyuan, Viscuso Salvatore, Zanelli Alessandra, Chen Jinghan
TextilesHUB Research Laboratory, Department of Architecture, Building Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Politecnico di Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy.
Materials (Basel). 2025 Apr 9;18(8):1721. doi: 10.3390/ma18081721.
The construction industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions, driving the need for sustainable solutions. Ultra-lightweight structures have emerged as an effective approach to reducing material usage and energy consumption. This study explores the potential of ultra-lightweight architectural systems through a learning-by-doing methodology, integrating innovative composite materials, PolRe, and knitting techniques to enhance tensegrity structures for sustainable, deployable, and efficient structural designs. Combining physical modeling, inspired by Frei Otto and Heinz Isler, with digital simulations using Kangaroo 2 and Python, this research employs form-finding and finite element analysis to validate structural performance. A 1:5 scale prototype was constructed using a manual knitting machine adapted from traditional knitting techniques. The integration of elastic meshes and rigid joints produced modular tensegrity systems that balance tension and compression, creating reversible, deployable, and material-efficient solutions. This study bridges conceptual aesthetics with structural efficiency, providing a template for sustainable, ultra-lightweight, textile-based structures.
建筑业是全球碳排放的主要贡献者，这推动了对可持续解决方案的需求。超轻型结构已成为减少材料使用和能源消耗的有效方法。本研究通过实践学习方法探索超轻型建筑系统的潜力，整合创新复合材料、PolRe和编织技术，以增强张拉整体结构，实现可持续、可部署和高效的结构设计。本研究将受弗赖·奥托（Frei Otto）和海因茨·伊斯勒（Heinz Isler）启发的物理建模与使用Kangaroo 2和Python的数字模拟相结合，采用找形和有限元分析来验证结构性能。使用一台根据传统编织技术改造的手动编织机制作了一个1:5比例的原型。弹性网格和刚性节点的结合产生了模块化的张拉整体系统，该系统平衡了拉力和压力，创造了可逆、可部署且材料高效的解决方案。本研究将概念美学与结构效率联系起来，为可持续、超轻型、基于纺织品的结构提供了一个模板。
