Abstract
In recent years adaptive systems, smart structures and “intelligent” building envelopes achieved great attention and these developments promise new prospects for architectural and civil engineering projects.
This paper will cover the latest research activities in the field of adaptivity as well as some of the
results in this area. Key definitions of the basic terms and components of adaptive ensembles will be provided. Afterwards the design and optimization procedure of adaptive truss and surface structures will be presented.
The concept of load path management has been developed, in order to reduce the weight of the structure while maintaining stress and deformation criteria. The adaptation to different load cases is achieved using sensors, actuators and a control unit. Furthermore, surface structures can also be optimized by activating themselves or by using adaptive fibers, plasters or activated supports. Thus a reduction of stress concentrations under various load cases can be achieved, which exceeds the efficiency factor of passive measures of strengthening abundantly clear.
All these different aspects take into account the energy input for the activation of the system in
comparison to the efficiency of the achieved adaptive ensemble. In contrast to Sullivan’s statement “form follows function”, one can restate it into “form follows energy”.
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