Interlocking Particle Structures: Design and Fabrication of a Medium Scale Demonstrator

Abstract

This paper describes the design, fabrication and assembly process of a medium scale demonstrator that was developed in the framework of the authors’ research on Interlocking Particle Structures (IPS). The demonstrator not only served as proof of concept, but also as an exhibition booth during the 2017 Aalto Festival in Espoo, Finland. In addition to insights from the design, fabrication and assembly process, the paper also presents a FEA study that sheds light on the structural performance of individual IPS joints, as well as IPS as a structural system. The demonstrator in question (see fig. 1) is based on a configuration with an initially orthogonal distribution of panels in space. It is composed of six square birch plywood panels with an edge length of 145 cm and a thickness of 27 mm.