top+ad

Topology Optimization + Advanced Design

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Topology-Optimized

Interlocking Assemblies

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About Us

top+ad is an interdisciplinary engineering lab at MIT focusing on developing new rigorous methods and algorithms that can improve structural design.

WELCOME

The digitalization of manufacturing is radically changing how we fabricate and construct structures. Today we can make things that were too complex for manufacture just a few years ago. To fully leverage the new manufacturing possibilities and make our structures lighter, faster, safer or any other objective we seek, we need to re-think our approach to structural design. In top+ad we work with developing structural- and topology optimization frameworks that improves design. We work with design at the conceptual stage, develop algorithmic details for implementation of new manufacturing considerations and take optimized designs out of the computational space to experimentally investigate their behavior. We are based at MIT in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The structures we are interested in can have any size; it can be a high-rise building, a part or component of a larger structure or the architecture of a porous material.

Featured Projects

Topology Optimization Design of Rigid Interlocking assemblies

Traditionally, interlocking assemblies are used in carpentry and associated with a set of quintessential shapes that are governed by the traditional cutting tools for wood. With today’s manufacturing, both ease of fabrication and design options are dramatically changed to give this type of connection renewed relevance and development potential as it can lock components in place without using of adhesives or fasteners such as mortar, glue, bolts, nails or screws.

Topology Optimization with Nozzle Size Restrictions for Extrusion-Based 3D Printing

Topology optimized design is tailored to fabrication by material extrusion processes by incorporating a discrete nozzle size constraint. Material extrusion processes are used in a range of 3D printing technologies; from bio printing for tissue engineering, over Fused Filament Fabrication to Big Area Manufacturing and Concrete 3D printing.

2 Phase Minimum and Maximum Length Scales Control

in Density Based Topology Optimization

Manufacturability of topology optimized designs is improved by providing the design engineer with minimum length scale control of both the solid and void phases of a design. We also propose a design framework that enables maximum length scale control of a single phase.

Topology Optimized Reinforced Concrete Beams

Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams are designed using an existing hybrid bi-linear topology optimization algorithm for design of Strut-and-Tie models. The reinforcement layouts are water jet cut from steel plates and placed into the concrete during casting. The beams are experimentally tested to investigate the performance of the designs. Behavioral improvements are found even at low levels of complexity.

Topology Optimized Concrete Structures

Concrete beams are designed using existing topology optimization algorithms and cast into falsework that is fabricated with digital tools. The beams are experimentally tested to investigate the performance of the design algorithms outside the computational domain.

Contact

Address

77 Massachusetts Avenue

MIT Room 1-253b, Attn: Josephine Carstensen

Cambridge MA 02139

United States

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