@phdthesis{bibcite_3181,
  author = {Yang Jiang},
  title = {Free form finding of grid shell structures},
  abstract = {<p>The general shape of a shell structure can have a great impact on its structural performance. This thesis presents a numerical implementation that finds the funicular form of grid shell structures. Two methods are implemented for the form finding: the potential energy method (PEM) and the force density method (FDM). The PEM, inspired by the 3D hanging chain model, find the funicular form by minimization of the total potential energy. On the other hand, the FDM find the funicular form by solving a linear system, in which a geometric stiffness matrix is constructed with the force density and nodal connectivity information. The form finding process is nonlinear, because the nodal loads are calculated with the rationale of tributary area and evolve with the structural form. Apart from the form finding, a member sizing procedure is implemented for a preliminary estimation of the member cross sectional area. In the member sizing, the stress-ratio method is used to achieve a fully-stressed design. Finally, three numerical examples are examined to demonstrate the effectiveness of the current implementation.</p>},
  year = {2015},
  journal = {Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UIUC},
  publisher = {UIUC},
  url = {https://hdl.handle.net/2142/89080},
}