Reinforcement Toolbox

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed the realization of multiple concrete curved surface structures. The often complex geometry of these structures led to new challenges in the final design and production phase: design of the reinforcement is one of these challenges. Current reinforcement modelling software is not capable of properly dealing with NURBS curves and surfaces. The absence of proper reinforcement tools for curved surface structures renders the structural engineer less effective in designing the reinforcement. This can lead to missing out on potential through ill-informed design decisions. The computational strategy proposed in this thesis provides a way of improving the design process of reinforcement in curved surface structures. It includes all necessary steps of raising an architectural curved surface model to production level in terms of reinforcement. Three design aspects have been distinguished: geometrical control, structural analysis, and production. Corresponding to these design aspects, three concepts have been developed: the SolidModel, FEM Analysis visualization and Rebar DNA which help to control them. The developed Reinforcement Toolbox supports the strategy by offering structural engineers a tool which can be used to control the design aspects of reinforcement in curved surface structures. It sets out to help remove the current split between draftsman and structural engineer by offering a design environment which offers the possibility to simultaneously model and verify reinforcement for curved surface structures. Functional requirements which emerged from the computational strategy formed important input for the developed architecture of the Reinforcement Toolbox. Use cases helped to identify different scenarios in which the software application is likely to be used. The system architecture of the Reinforcement Toolbox has been developed with strong attention to the multifaceted design process of reinforcement in curved surface structures. It builds on existing 3D modelling software, Rhinoceros and Grasshopper, by adding custom components. The Reinforcement Toolbox has been developed using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and written in C#. In accordance to the possibilities offered by this object oriented programming language, the Reinforcement Toolbox uses a collection of custom objects which can be considered the building blocks of the Toolbox. For the first version of the Reinforcement Toolbox several components have been developed. Together they offer the necessary functionality for a structural engineer or CAD draftsman to design longitudinal reinforcement groups and reinforcement meshes for curved surface structures. A first version of the Reinforcement Toolbox has been developed and tested. It can be applied to both complex curved surface structures as well as non-complex structures, making it a widely applicable design tool. Users can apply the Reinforcement Toolbox at their own discretion within any given stage of the reinforcement process either to quickly research different reinforcement design alternatives, or use it to build extensive reinforcement models. The parametric reinforcement models are easily adaptable to design changes, which makes them valuable throughout the entire reinforcement process. The Toolbox has been designed considering user friendliness, and freedom of use. The modular setup allows users to combine components at their own discretion allowing for the intended freedom when designing reinforcement. It has been demonstrated to a group of structural engineers, who recognize the potential it can bring to the reinforcement process, especially when its current functionality and scope will be expanded.