Since 2000

Systems consisting of beams mutually supporting each other have been known for centuries, they are referred as reciprocal systems. Numerous illustrations of such structural systems can be found in the book of O. Popovic Larsen. The term ‘nexorade’ describes the spatial generalisation of the flat beam arrangements proposed by the previous authors. This generalisation relies on the fact that it is the eccentricity between the elements at connection points that dictates the final form.

Description of the research

Systems consisting of beams mutually supporting each other have been known for centuries and numerous illustrations of such structural systems. For example, during the medieval ages, the French architect Villard de Honnecourt provided a solution based on a mutually supporting frame for the problem of covering a space with beams shorter than the span. Leonardo Da Vinci was also interested in this concept and made sketches for beam arrangements similar to Villard de Honnecourt.

The definition of the parameter of a nexorade where defined in (Baverel 2000). This type of structure which is rather simple to assemble technologically has a complex form-finding  procedure. (Baverel 2004 ) tried to generate the form-finding with the genetic algorithms. (Douthe 2009) managed to generated the structure with the help of a fictuous mechanical behaviour solved by dynamic relaxation. This method is now implemented in rhino grasshopper. An analytical investigation was done by (Baverel 2007) and (Senechal 2011). A review of the different types of interlaced structures was made by (Baverel 2011).