Register now After registration you will be able to apply for this opportunity online.
This opportunity is not published. No applications will be accepted.
OPTIMIZING INFILL-STRUCTURES FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE 3D PRINTED BUILDING FACADES
Advancements in the field of Digital Fabrication (DFAB)/ Additive Manufacturing (AM) have created opportunities for disruptive innovation in the building engineering sector.
At ETH Zurich, the Architecture and Building Systems group is using these techniques to tune the mechanical and thermal properties of building structures. Digital Building Technologies focuses on research on large scale 3DP for the AEC-sector.
This thesis/project is part of a larger effort to develop and quantify the effect of various parts of the DFAB/AM process, including geometry, material properties, printing parameters and post-processing methodologies on functional performance.
In this project, an FDM/FFF 3D printing technique will be used for rapid-prototyping of small scale (0.2x0.2 m) to large (3x1 m) building façade elements. The desired outcome would be to print and test the thermal and structural characteristics of the façade structure.
The main tasks are to:
(1) Build on the previous work done by the DBT group to generate parametric 3D models of infill structures
(2) Simulate mechanical and thermal behaviour of these structures using Finite Element Modelling (FEM)
(3) Develop a ‘printability’ scale to quantify the difficulty of printing these structures
(4) Optimize the geometries for mechanical-, thermal- performance, and printability
(5) Validate the FEM results using physical experiments
The experimental results will be published in high-impact scientific journals and conferences and will be used as design input to fabricate full-scale printed structures.
The ideal candidate is a motivated student, with an interest in applied engineering research. Experience in volumetric modeling, 3D printing, FEM analysis, and physical experimental setups is required. Interested candidates, please send a 1 page CV and a motivation letter to Bharath Seshadri (seshadri@arch.ethz.ch).
The student will be co-supervised by Matthias Leschok from Digital Building Technologies.
Keywords: Additive Manufacturing, Multi-criteria optimisation, Volumetric modelling, infill structures, FEM