Design of Lightweight Fibrous Shells by the Use of Knitting Patterns

The increasing environmental concerns have brought attention to the circularity of materials used in the construction sector. Fibre-reinforced lightweight structures have emerged as a potential solution to this issue, offering opportunities for bio-degradable materials, sustainable production techniques, and cost-effective alternatives to traditional building materials. This research aims to explore possibilities of fibre-reinforced lightweight structures and propose a design process by the use of traditional bobbin lace production methods for orienting fibres. The research workflow consists of four steps. In the first step, the most frequently used knitting methods such as torchon, tulle, and knitting ground patterns, including engelche, rose, square, diamond, triangular, and hexagonal ones are determined. Second step is based on a form-finding process for the shell performed in an algorithmic modelling environment. In the third step, structural performance simulations are undertaken for the shell structures that are specified for the boundary conditions and for different material utilization scenarios. The last step is prototyping and physical modelling process. Case studies were undertaken to test the methodology, and the outputs were compared. The results underlined that materials, such as cotton and flax, obtained advantages compared to the synthetic ones, such as polyester, in terms of their behaviour. Thus, the lightweight structures that are produced by the principles of knitting patterns can demonstrate possibilities for the utilization of natural materials while minimizing the quantity of materials employed.