Stability of parametric designed droxel structures : numerical model with experimental validation

The droxel is a stackable element allowing for the construction of almost every geometrical form without the use of scaffolding. The stability determination of droxelised structures as well as their numerical simulations have already been tackled in previous works. The goal of this work is to find a more-time efficient way to implement the stability algorithm. This is done by implementing the algorithm analytically. After that a second algorithm, allowing to determine the laying sequence in which the droxels must be placed, is implemented. The laying sequence must guarantee a stable configuration during the whole construction of the structure. Both algorithms are implemented by loading C# scripts in a Grasshopper interface. Lastly, both algorithms are compared to numerical simulations (using the LMGC90 software) and experimental tries (using small-scale 3D-printed droxels). This comparison allows to validate the algorithm as well as highlight and confirm its limits. The algorithms proves to be working within the given limits, which are mainly due to the neglection of the sliding between the droxels. This leads to the resistance of some structures being overestimated. Suggestions to tackle the limits are given.