Construction and Building Materials xxx (2016) xxx–xxx

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Construction and Building Materials

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/conbuildmat

Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches

for FRP based components in building construction
Riccardo La Magna ⇑, Frédéric Waimer, Jan Knippers
Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design, University of Stuttgart, Keplerstrasse 11, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany

h i g h l i g h t s

 Novel fabrication techniques for fibre winding are proposed.

 Assembled Core, a segmentation strategy for fibre winding cores is presented.
 Coreless Winding, a fabrication method that avoids the winding core is introduced.
 Test cases are presented for each method.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In the current paper the authors present a series of case studies which expose innovative use of FRPs in
Received 1 July 2015 engineering and architecture. A particular focus is set on the development of novel fabrication processes
Received in revised form 7 January 2016 specifically devised for the projects, namely the Coreless Winding and the Assembled Core methods. The
Accepted 8 January 2016
Assembled Core method stems from ongoing research in the field of FRPs production technology. This
Available online xxxx
approach primarily focuses on the optimisation of the core geometry, allowing to produce complex com-
ponents from a single winding core, thus reducing material waste and enhancing the efficiency of the fab-
Keywords:
rication process. After production the segments are extracted from the original core geometry and
Coreless Winding
Assembled Core
reassembled into the whole component, later serving as mould for concreting and eventually as rein-
FRP forcement for the structure. The fabrication process was applied to the construction of a concrete bench,
Composites displaying the potential and capacities of this method. The second manufacturing process presented as
Prototyping part of the current research, the Coreless Winding technique, offers an alternative to classical filament
Fabrication winding by replacing the positive mould with a linear steel frame, which provides the armature onto
Production which the resin-soaked fibres are tensioned. Coreless Winding was successfully implemented in the pro-
duction of a full-scale architectural prototype, an entirely carbon and glass fibre based monocoque shell.
The second case study demonstrates the use of FRP based components for the production of a large scale
structure. The Coreless Winding technique is adapted to the production of small size elements, which later
serve as basic components for the assembly of a modular and double layer structure, allowing a larger
span and the optimal transfer of global bending moments. The requirement of fabrication flexibility is
resolved by adopting a specific robotic fabrication setup and an adaptive winding frame. Along with
the planning of these alternative winding techniques, specific computational tools had to be developed
to accurately simulate the fabrication processes and the mechanical response of the final structures.
Ó 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction easy to manufacture and a high fibre to volume ratio can be

Filament winding represents a fast and economic fabrication
method for fibre reinforced components [1]. Particularly in the case
of serial elements with repetitive and regular geometry, very cost–
effective results can be reached. Moreover, large components are
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: r.lamagna@itke.uni-stuttgart.de (R. La Magna).
achieved, providing high stiffness and strength. Typical filament
winding techniques involve the production of a positive mould
upon which fibres are later laid [2]. The mould ensures that the
fibres are kept in place and do not slip into unwanted configura-
tions while the polymer matrix is still in the process of drying
out. Due to geometric constraints, the production of custom com-
ponents is mainly limited to surfaces of positive Gaussian curva-
ture (synclastic) such as pipes, vessels or aircraft fuselages.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
0950-0618/Ó 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article in press as: R. La Magna et al., Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches for FRP based components in
building construction, Constr. Build. Mater. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
2 R. La Magna et al. / Construction and Building Materials xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
Besides, extra amount of work is required in the preparation of the
mould, often a milled foam core, with the obvious waste of mate-
rial that this process entails. For the production of surfaces of neg-
ative Gaussian curvature (anticlastic), automated tape and fibre
placement methods may be employed. By using a composite lay-
up end-effector typically installed on a robotic industrial arm, the
tape is laid on the surface of the mould in direct contact. Although
the design freedom is greater in this case, tape laying methods still
suffer from the necessity of producing a positive core in advance,
which also has strong influences on the type of feasible compo-
nents due to size constraints. To overcome these major drawbacks,
alternative fabrication methods are currently being tested and
developed with the aim of optimising production costs and time,
as well as reducing material waste and manufacturing complexity.
The Assembled Core approach first presented in the current paper
is based on classical fibre-winding methods, where a custom
mould is used to produce a fibre-based body which is later seg-
mented and reassembled to build an initial given shape. The anal-
ysis and optimisation techniques involved here aim at defining the
proper mould geometry and providing important feedback on the
feasibility of the initial shape. The second fabrication method
focuses on a Coreless Winding process that was developed for
the production of large scale prototypes meant to test the potential
and advantages of this innovative approach. This approach repre-
sents a novelty in the production of double-curved surfaces by
winding. So far, the only fibre winding method which does not
require a positive mould is limited to the manufacturing of pipes.
In opposition to the first fabrication method, this alternative wind-
ing technique was mainly conceived to avoid the production of a
large positive core, and was later implemented in the construction
of a full-scale prototype (Fig. 8). In recent developments, the fabri-
cation process has been adapted to the production of smaller mod-
ular components, which assembled together form a large-scale
mock-up (Fig. 16). Both methodologies demonstrate how fibre
reinforced composites can be arranged and processed in order to
meet the specific requirements of structural applications in build-
ing construction.
2. Concept of Assembled Core for filament winding
A novel fabrication method for the production of freeform FRP
based components, the Assembled Core method, is here introduced.
In the first place a target surface needs to be identified and anal-
ysed geometrically. The freeform surface is then subdivided into
distinct segments which are arranged in such a way to form the
winding core’s geometry. Fig. 1 shows the schematic process of
the core generation. The assembly of the core segments must fulfil
a series of specific criteria to ensure the windability of the geome-
try. The core generation process can be broken down into the
following steps:
Fig. 1. Concept of the core generation.
Please cite this article in press as: R. La Magna et al., Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches for FRP based components in
building construction, Constr. Build. Mater. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
1. Categorisation of the components.
2. Generation of the fill surface and the poles.
3. Simulation of the winding process.
4. Analysis of the production behaviour.
In step 1 the geometry of the target surface is analysed and the
information about the Gaussian curvature of the shape extracted.
This information is used to define the components that make up
the winding core. To create a continuous and windable core, step
2 provides the necessary fill surfaces that bridge and connect the
components with each other, along with technical features like
the poles for the attachment to the mandrel of the lathe. Step 3
and 4 are of high significance for the evaluation of an economical
production. It serves on the one hand to define an applicable wind-
ing pattern and, on the other hand, to ensure that the winding
around the core is flawless. Winding is substantially characterised
by the bridging effect. Bridging occurs during the winding process
when the roving loses contact with the core because of the local
core’s geometry and curvature. Consequences are a decrease in
pre-stress in the roving, the roving deviating from its desired posi-
tion, and the cross-section of the roving constricting in a circular
shape. These effects are mirrored on the material characteristics
of the component being produced as strength and stiffness of the
laminate are critically weakened, potentially leading to delamina-
tion due to weak adhesive bonding between the fibres and the
polymer matrix.
Consequently, the winding process depends on the geometry of
the components and the corresponding Assembled Core. Therefore,
no statement can be made in terms of producibility of the compo-
nents without a simulation and an analysis of the winding process.
As opposed to commercial programmes that work with discretised
surface models, the authors pursue a method of analysis based on
differential geometry. Thus, the roving can be abstracted into a
curve, which makes it possible to identify the exact curvature ori-
entation at any point on the curve. If the curvature is not continu-
ous or if a change in curvature takes place, this implies that the
roving lifts and bridging will occur. Accurate modelling at this
point pushes the boundaries to the limits of the production
method. Fig. 2 here shows the contact forces for different winding
angles and indicates that an angle of 30° leads to bridging effects.
In addition to the examination of bridging, determining the
winding pattern plays a crucial role for the mechanical properties
of the laminate. The data model in Fig. 3(a) defines the correspond-
ing winding pattern under a certain winding angle. The winding
angle to be considered depends on the desired structural proper-
ties of the component. After the simulation of the winding process,
it is investigated whether the laid roving maintains its intended
position and does not slip. Fig. 3(b) shows that the rovings will
not slip under the examined winding pattern for the determined
Assembled Core displayed in the figure. The colour gradient refers
to the magnitude of slipping forces, showing that the peak forces
 R. La Magna et al. / Construction and Building Materials xxx (2016) xxx–xxx 3

Fig. 2. Curvature diagram for a roving on an anticlastic core geometry with an (a) 45° angle – (b) 30° angle.

Fig. 3. (a) Data model for the determination of the winding pattern; (b) slipping analysis – the colour gradient refers to the slipping forces.

occur at the poles of the core, which are nonetheless negligible for
the specific geometry.
A further description of the digital implementation and the
influence of the global geometry on the fabrication can be found
in [6]. Once planning the production is completed, CNC data for
the laying paths are generated from the winding pattern. For the
last step in the process – trimming the components off the core –
milling paths are generated on the basis of the simulation model
(Fig. 4). The proposed fabrication method has already been success-
fully employed for the fabrication of freeform concrete shells [5].
2.1. Construction method and load bearing effect
An essential part of the new construction method is the so
called sandwich composite formwork (Fig. 5(a)). The sandwich
composite formwork consists of a foamed core with a bilateral,
2 mm thick surface layer of CFRP. The sandwich structure offers
sufficient stiffness for forces existing in the finished construction
such as those caused by the deadweight of the fresh concrete. In
order to guarantee a form-fit connection between the materials
after the concrete has been applied and has hardened, the sand-
wich system is perforated with blind holes (Fig. 5(b)). This allows
the concrete to fill in the indentations and to interlock with the
sandwich after it has hardened. However, not the entire sandwich
is perforated so that sufficient flexural strength is given during
construction. After production, the formwork is assembled on the
construction site, providing the mould for the concreting, and ulti-
mately remaining within the structure. Therefore, the sandwich
formwork and the concrete form an interlocking composite mate-
rial which allows a force transfer optimised for the materials used.
In case of bending moments in a shell, the CFRP formwork absorbs
tensile forces and the concrete compressive forces. Assemblage of
the formwork elements takes place on the construction site.
Depending on the local conditions either an adhesive or a rivet
connection can be chosen.
Efficiency of the new construction method is essentially influ-
enced by its shear characteristics. These have been determined in
shear experiments [6]. Besides the determination of the shear char-
acteristics, the properties of the connecting materials (adhesive
and rivet connection) and of the winding laminate dependent on
the winding angle were determined.
2.2. Physical prototype
With the help of this example, planning as well as practical
aspects of the production of formwork using the winding proce-
dure were tested. In the production of the prototype, a concrete
park bench, a winding machine was used. The core size is limited
to a maximum diameter of 750 mm on this machine. The result
of the completed integrative planning process is shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 4. Process of assembled-core winding.

Please cite this article in press as: R. La Magna et al., Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches for FRP based components in
building construction, Constr. Build. Mater. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
4 R. La Magna et al. / Construction and Building Materials xxx (2016) xxx–xxx

Fig. 5. Sandwich formwork composite with blind holes: (a) different components; (b) close up.

thickness of the hybrid construction is about 4 cm. The prototype

measures 4.5 m in length, 2 m in width and 1 m in height. The pro-
totype demonstrates the opportunities of this new construction
method and in particular the innovative use of fibre-reinforced
composites in architecture.

3. Coreless Winding: a novel manufacturing technique

The main feature of the Coreless Winding consists in the replace-

Fig. 6. The park bench prototype with components divided according to fibre
orientations; dimension units in mm.
Architectural scope of the hybrid construction is visible in Fig. 7.
The built prototype, which consists of 14 different components,
illustrates the producible components and their high quality. For
production of the components, four cores made of Styrofoam were
needed. The size of the cores was chosen so that the material could
be used twice by milling two smaller cores out of the two larger
ones. After assembling the formwork elements with an adhesive
joint, a 3 cm thick concrete layer was applied manually. The total
ment of the positive, continuous mould with a discrete temporary
linear steel frame to hold the fibres in place during the laying pro-
cess. The frame serves as temporary scaffolding onto which the
resin soaked fibres are then tensioned, building step by step a shell
structure consisting of individual fibre layers which gain structural
stiffness and bending resistance after the matrix (epoxy) has dried
out and the tempering process taken place. For the first prototype,
custom milled wooden elements with teeth profiles were attached
to the frame to avoid that the placed fibres would glide onto the
steel bars. The profiles ensured a stable and suitable set of anchor
points for the fibres. The complete setup was mounted on an
external turntable which provided an extra axis of rotation for a
6-axis industrial robot, equipped with a specifically designed

Fig. 7. Park bench prototype consisting of a new hybrid carbon-fibre reinforced concrete construction.

Fig. 8. (a) ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2012: FRP monocoque shell pavilion; (b) full-scale winding test (Photos: Team ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart).

Please cite this article in press as: R. La Magna et al., Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches for FRP based components in
building construction, Constr. Build. Mater. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
 R. La Magna et al. / Construction and Building Materials xxx (2016) xxx–xxx 5

Fig. 9. Construction setup (Image: ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart).

end-effector, which accurately wrapped the resin-saturated carbon
and glass fibres on the scaffolding (Fig. 9).
Without the constraints of a prefabricated positive mould, this
manufacturing process specifically enables the production of anti-
clastic double curved surfaces as long as the different fibre layers
are allowed to undergo relatively large elastic deformations, there-
fore assuming geometric configurations other than that of a ruled
surface. This is achieved by tensioning transverse layers of fibres
which would naturally lie on a deeper geometrical plane compared
to the previous ones, resulting in a global displacement of the sys-
tem which gradually tends to a continuous saddle shape as the
number of rovings increases [3]. Having replaced the continuous full
core with a series of voids and discrete anchoring points, the fibres
are allowed to freely deform and assume their natural funicular
shape under the load introduced by the overlapping fibres. Further-
more, by differentiating the pre-stressing force within the single
fibres it is also possible to control and steer the global shape
assumed by the surface, as the deformation within the surface itself
can vary locally from point to point. To successfully implement the
described manufacturing technique, it was necessary to simulate
the entire fabrication event to detect possible faults in the global
design and in particular major losses of fibre pre-stress during the
wrapping process [7].
3.1. Geometrical influences
To accurately predict the final geometric configuration of the
prototype, it was necessary to simulate the entire wrapping pro-
cess to assess in advance the correct position of the fibres. As the
resin soaked fibres do not possess any bending resistance whilst
the epoxy is still in the process of drying out, successive layers
wrapped on the previous ones have the effect of further deforming
the system. Fig. 10 schematically displays the deformation process
that occurs through the interaction of the tensioned roving and the
untensioned strand of fibres. This implies that the overall design of
the shell cannot be entirely dictated and decided beforehand, but it

Fig. 10. Deformation process of wrapped fibres.

Please cite this article in press as: R. La Magna et al., Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches for FRP based components in
building construction, Constr. Build. Mater. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
6 R. La Magna et al. / Construction and Building Materials xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
Fig. 11. Robotic fibre-laying process.
Fig. 12. Mechanical model of the coupling between fibres.
is rather the result of a form-finding process which has to take into
account the physical and mechanical behaviour of the different
layers which simultaneously react to the external load of the
wrapped fibre at each step.
The number of degrees of freedom involved in the simulation
varies quadratically at each step, as the contact points between
the fibres double each time a new roving is introduced in the sys-
tem. Given the complexity of the simulation model and the
increasing number of variables involved at each step, it is not pos-
sible to predict in advance the outcome, hence the iterative form-
finding process adopted for the simulation [8]. The deformations
involved in the process, being of consistent magnitude (meaning
that the deformation components of higher order may not be
neglected), along with the contact problem between the fibres,
result in a highly complex simulation scenario that has to be solved
adopting specifically tailored computational strategies to handle
all the aspects involved in the calculation. The main purpose of
the simulation of the fabrication process is to check the pre-
stress values of the fibre bundles. As it has later been assessed
through the simulation and also observed on the final prototype,
the stress distribution largely varies within the fibres. This is due
to the particular geometric configuration, as specific areas tend
to be overstressed as they absorb most of the load introduced by
the later wrapped fibres. On the other hand, as the global shape
continuously changes during the wrapping process, other fibres
run into the risk of totally losing their pre-stress as a result of
the support surface which has further relaxed within a number
of wrapping cycles, leading to bundles of fibres lying loosely on
Please cite this article in press as: R. La Magna et al., Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches for FRP based components in
building construction, Constr. Build. Mater. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
the surface. To avoid this dual problem of overstressing and loos-
ening of the fibres, optimal pre-stress values have to be chosen
in order to avoid or at least minimise this effect. Especially the
loosening of the fibres during curing time represents a major set-
back in fibre composite products, as the distinct layers do not offer
a homogeneous contact surface anymore. This gives rise to relative
deformations between the layers which lose completely the
mechanical characteristic and strength of a compact bond, poten-
tially leading to serious delamination problems during the lifetime
of the element.
Besides providing the local stress values of the fibres, the simu-
lation of the forming process was required to correct the laying
paths of the robotic arm. In filament winding two major problems
may arise in relationship to the followed path: uplifting and lateral
sliding of the fibres with respect to the underlying surface.
Although uplifting is not a critical issue for the developed Coreless
Winding technique as the underlying positive mould is missing,
lateral sliding may still be present and lead to potential damage
of the rovings or significant losses of pre-stress. To minimise
potential sliding effects, the fibres should lie within the boundary
defined by the geodesic line running between two support points
on the reference surface and an offset dependent on the friction
value between the fibres [4]. In an automated feedback loop
between parametric generation of the geometry model and the
winding simulation, the path followed by the robotic arm could
be corrected and optimised to minimise the side effects of lateral
sliding. The original path is sequentially updated following the
newly achieved results. This process required the definition of a
preliminary wrapping path along which the intersection points
between the fibres are geometrically resolved, updating the
mechanical model with the newly defined nodes and elements,
solving the system and correcting the path with the found results.
3.2. Simulation process and Finite Element Model
The whole analysis process relies on the coupling of the geo-
metric modelling interface and the analysis (Finite Element based)
interface. In a looping procedure, the 3d-modelling software first
reconstructs the displaced geometric model which is retrieved
directly from the results database of the Finite Element program,
along with essential mechanical information including stress val-
ues, nodal forces, support reactions, etc. The model is then updated
with the new information deriving from the actual wrapping step,
i.e. nodes and cable elements which define the new roving. Follow-
ing, the generation of the code automatically takes place from the
updated geometric setup, and once completed fires an event to the
Finite Element program which performs the new calculation and
finally saves the results into its native database. The whole simula-
tion process is then looped until the last roving has been set into
the model.
The analysis model is based on cable net mechanics. At each
step, the intersection nodes between the existing cable elements
in the model and the new cable are found geometrically. This pro-
cess takes place within the 3d-modelling software, where the dis-
placed geometry of the cable net is first imported and rebuilt as a
network of polylines. To find the points which make up the new
cable element the approximated robot tool path is needed, as the
nodes are found by intersecting the plane defined by the two sup-
port points and the average point of the robotic arm’s spatial trace
with the cable net already present [8] (Fig. 11).
The intersection points define the structural nodes of the next
fibre which is later added to the global Finite Element Model. In
order to successfully update the model, all mechanical information
has to be acquired from the results database and processed to
accommodate the new nodes. As the roving does not always lay on
the geodesic line of the surface, considerable lateral sliding effects
 R. La Magna et al. / Construction and Building Materials xxx (2016) xxx–xxx 7

modelled through spring elements with infinite axial stiffness and

Fig. 13. Relative displacement after calculation and determination of the updated
coupling node.
may occur during the wrapping process. In order to take into account
such sliding effects, the coupling between the structural nodes is
a threshold lateral stiffness which derives from the friction value
between soaked fibres previously tested in the laboratory. With a
reduced lateral stiffness, the spring is allowed to stretch perpendic-
ularly to the axis of the cable, resulting in a sliding effect on the
underlying cable (Fig. 12). The stretching effect stops as soon as
the residual lateral force on the node balances the threshold stiffness
of the spring. To avoid excessive deformation and to best approxi-
mate the sliding effect between the fibres, the prestressing of the
laying roving needs to be broken down into a series of steps. This
procedure ensures that the relative movement between the laying
fibre and the already laid rovings is contained within a certain
boundary, minimising artificial effects deriving from an excessive
amount of lateral displacement. This requires updating the coupling
model after each prestressing iteration, which is done by finding the
new intersection point between the displaced existing fibres and the
intersection plane in its new position (Fig. 13). The newly found
point is then used to define the updated coupling between the fibre
strands. The process is iterated until the prescribed prestressing
value is achieved in the current fibre.
As springs tend to be computationally intensive elements, the
coupling is provided only for the last roving to be simulated in

Fig. 14. (a) Close-up of fibre intersection; (b) stress map of Coreless Winding process displaying the pretensioning force in each fibre strand.

Fig. 15. Synchronized robotic setup with stationary fibre source (Image: ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart).

Please cite this article in press as: R. La Magna et al., Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches for FRP based components in
building construction, Constr. Build. Mater. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
8 R. La Magna et al. / Construction and Building Materials xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
Fig. 16. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2013/14: temporary assembly of FRP compo-
nents (Photo: ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart).
order to find the correct nodal position. Due to the missing bending
stiffness of the structure during the wrapping process, the consid-
erable displacements of the fibres have to be taken into account by
resorting to a non-linear calculation which considers the internal
stress state in the displaced reference configuration. After the cal-
culation is run, the position of the displaced nodes are updated
once again in the 3d-model by merging the two nodes and deleting
the spring connection, providing a coupled connection between the
two cable elements. Finally, the process is looped in the exposed
order until the last cable element has been imported and the sys-
tem calculated, leading to the end geometric configuration with
the corresponding stress map (Fig. 14). The stress map displays
the pretensioning force in each fibre strand, showing a peak value
for this particular winding configuration of 0.1192 kN.
3.3. Further production applications
To overcome the limitations linked to the production of contin-
uous monocoque shells, the fabrication process was adapted to the
production of smaller fibre-based components. In the second case
study, the temporary pavilion consists of an assembly of custom
wound elements which form the overall structure (Fig. 16). Due
to the geometric complexity of the single items, it was necessary
to adopt a different fabrication setup compared to the previous
structure. In this case, the mixed glass and carbon fibre compo-
nents are made using two synchronised 6-axis robots (Fig. 15). This
setup was required to achieve the high degree of geometric differ-
entiation within the elements, as the size, depth and tapering angle
of the single cells vary according to their positioning within the
global structural layout. Despite the different fabrication setting,
the same mechanical models described in the previous section
were employed for the construction of the second pavilion. The
mobile frame did not have any significant impact on the simulation
setup, which just required adjustment to the different geometric
conditions.
Please cite this article in press as: R. La Magna et al., Coreless Winding and Assembled Core – Novel fabrication approaches for FRP based components in
building construction, Constr. Build. Mater. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.015
A wooden frame, variable in size and geometry, is attached to
each of the steel effectors mounted on the two industrial robots
which wind the filaments around the dented frame. The two
robotic arms are programmed to perform a synchronised motion
that allows to accurately place each fibre between the teeth of
the wooden profiles. The winding syntax is generated for each ele-
ment according to the geometry of the cell, the overall thickness to
be achieved, and the differentiated placement of glass and carbon
fibres. The fibre rovings, deriving from a stationary source, a spool
mounted on a rotary cylinder, are pre-impregnated with resin by
running through a stationary resin bath. The first glass fibre layers
tensioned on the temporary frame act as deformable scaffolding
for the reinforcing carbon fibres which are later wound upon. In
this way the fibres themselves serve both as winding core and
structural laminate, providing an integrated solution which avoids
the material and time consuming process of milling a positive core
for each component.
3.4. Conclusions
To fully exploit the advantages of fibre reinforced polymers and
to make them usable in the construction industry, new approaches
and ways of thinking are needed. This is the case for the develop-
ment of appropriate production methods and the development of
custom simulation and analysis tools. The design and realisation
of the full scale architectural prototypes served as test cases for
the novel production techniques. In conclusion, the developed
Coreless Winding and Assembled Core techniques offer new means
for the production of fibre based components of variable size and
dimensions, also achieving a high degree of flexibility concerning
the shape and geometry of the individual elements.
References
[1] M. Bader, Selection of composite materials and manufacturing routes for cost–
effective performance, Compos. A Appl. Sci. Manuf. 2002 (2002) 913–934.
[2] J. Knippers, J. Cremers, M. Gabler, J. Lienhard, Construction manual for polymers
+ membranes, Birkhäuser (2010).
[3] S. Reichert, T. Schwinn, F. Waimer, R. La Magna, J. Knippers, A. Menges, Fibrous
structures: an integrative approach to design computation, simulation and
fabrication for lightweight, glass and carbon fibre composite structures in
architecture based on biomimetic design principles, Comput. Aided Des. J.
(2014) (2014).
[4] J.H. Romagna, Neue Strategien in der Faserwickeltechnik, Dissertation at
Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zürich, 1997.
[5] F. Waimer, J. Knippers, A novel hybrid composite construction for complex
concrete shells in architecture, in: Proceedings of International Association for
IASS Symposium 2015, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2015.
[6] F. Waimer, J. Knippers, Design equilibrium of form, materiality and fabrication:
a bacterial-inspired multidisciplinary optimisation strategy for free-form
concrete structures, in: Modelling Behaviour: Proceedings of the Design
Modelling Symposium Copenhagen 2015, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2015.
[7] F. Waimer, R. La Magna, S. Reichert, T. Schwinn, A. Menges, J. Knippers,
Bionisch-inspirierte Faserverbundstrukturen, Bautechnik 90 (12) (2013) 766–
771.
[8] F. Waimer, R. La Magna, J. Knippers, Integrative numerical techniques for fibre
reinforced polymers – forming process and analysis of differentiated
anisotropy, J. Int. Assoc. Shell Spatial Struct. – J. IASS 54 (4) (2013) 301–309.