Exploring the Potential of Fibrous Tectonics for Facade Application: A Form-Finding, FEM Analysis, and Optimization study

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites have garnered considerable interest in the field of structural engineering due to their promising mechanical properties. However, their application at the building scale still requires further efficiency. Current design approaches often rely on traditional methods used for conventional structural elements; in contrast, this paper focuses on the concept of fibrous tectonics. While thermoset matrices are commonly employed in this composite, our study focuses on developing a comprehensive computational workflow encompassing design, structural analysis, and optimization specifically tailored for fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite roving in facade applications. The primary objective is to minimize the length of the fiber roving used while ensuring acceptable levels of utilization and deflection, in addition to proposing possible architectural functions for using FRP at building scale, e.g., shading façades.