CONCEZIONE STRUTTURALE E VALUTAZIONE OLISTICA DELLE PRESTAZIONI DI GRIDSHELL A BORDO LIBERO

Gridshells are lightweight structures worldwide adopted for their high efficiency resulting from their form-resistant structural behaviour. This efficiency can be compromised by free edges, which induce flexural effects prevailing over the typical gridshell membrane-like behaviour. Four design principles addressing such issues in shell-like structures emerge from the literature. This paper evaluates and compares the effectiveness of these design principles for free-edge gridshells, taking the FreeGrid barrel vault gridshell as case study. Seven Conceptual Design Solution Gridshells are conceived through a 'design-from-precedent' approach: three traditional Design Solution Gridshells based on common strategies for free-edge gridshells, and four novel Design Solution Gridshells inspired to strategies for shell structures. Their performance is assessed in terms of structural behaviour, buildability and sustainability. Results shed light on the mechanical behaviour of each solution, and performance metrics allow to identify the best performing solution in the conceptual design phase for refinement in the final design stage.