Additive manufacturing methodology for structurally optimized space frame connections

Abstract

The incorporation of additive manufacturing into the architectural and structural engineering realms mainly focused on producing physical models of conventional designs that do not showcase the benefits of using this fabrication approach. Furthermore, the design of space frame structures is centered on simple geometric forms where the members are linked using standard joints with unrefined geometries, giving them their industrial aesthetic. Applying additive manufacturing to the design workflow has the potential to create custom joints with optimized structural performance and reduced fabrication lead times. This research explored the application potential of topology optimization in the design and fabrication of structural nodes for space frame structures using additive manufacturing. This paper presents a methodology that streamlines the various stages in the structural optimization of a typical node in a double layer grid space frame. Topology optimization using SIMP is employed to create a structural node with enhanced stress distribution compared to a conventional spherical node. An algorithm streamlining the various post-processing stages into a single Grasshopper script is also presented.