A New Methodology to Transfer Efficient Mechanisms of Load Transmission from Nature to Structures Made of Carbon-Reinforced Concrete

The goal of this project is to develop a so-called modular-structure-generator that provides a variety of bioinspired carbon-reinforced concrete structures, which can be implemented into practice.

Initially, the challenge is to identify essential bionic construction elements, e.g. stems as supporting elements and leaf lamina as shell-like ceiling elements. The aim is to generate a modular construction kit that enables as many construction relevant combinations of bionic elements as possible. To perform efficient and robust simulations, special finite elements with reduced integration and the model order reduction method are applied. The focus is on taking into account both the material anisotropy, due to changing fiber orientations, and coupling conditions between individual modules.

Finally, a screening algorithm is developed that automatically creates various structures consisting of modules available in the construction kit. Such structures are going to be evaluated with regard to their applicability in structural engineering problems.

Within the framework of A01, the seed fund project "Virtual experiments on plant components" (1^st round 2022) is carried out.

Model order reduction strategy decomposing the entire system into substructures, which are reduced individually before reassembly accounting for coupling conditions

Methodologie zur Übertragung von Lastabtragsmechanismen aus der Natur auf Strukturen aus Carbonbeton

Scientists

Project Manager

Stefanie Reese

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil.

RWTH Aachen University

Institute of Applied Mechanics, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1
D-52074 Aachen (Germany)

Phone: +49 241 80 25000

stefanie.reese@rwth-aachen.de

Institute website

Research Associate

Domen Macek

M. Sc.

RWTH Aachen University

Institute of Applied Mechanics, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1
D-52074 Aachen (Germany)

Phone: +49 241 80 25014

domen.macek@ifam.rwth-aachen.de

Institute website

Research Associate

Stephan Ritzert

M.Sc.

RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Applied Mechanics

Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1
D-52074 Aachen

Phone: +49 241 80 25009

stephan.ritzert@ifam.rwth-aachen.de

Institute website

Cooperations

A02

Evolutionary Structure Generator

B01

3D Textile Reinforcements

C01

Internal Shells

C03

Multi-Scale Shell Models

C04

Stability and Quasi-Ductility

C05

Resilience and Fracture

INF

Information Infrastructure

A03

Fiber Reinforced Plant Organs

Tomography

Publikationen | Publications

Curosu, V.; Kikis, G.; Krüger, C.; Liebold, F.; Macek, D.; Mester, L.; Platen, J.; Ritzert, S.; Stüttgen, S.; Kaliske, M.; Klinkel, S.; Loehnert, S.; Maas, H.-G.; Reese, S.; Robertz, D. (2023) Ansätze für numerische Methoden zur Inspiration, Analyse und Bewertung neuartiger Carbonbetonstrukturen in: Bauingenieur 98, issue 11, p. 368–377 – DOI: 10.37544/0005-6650-2023-11-56

Macek, D.; Holthusen, H.; Rjosk, A.; Ritzert, S.; Lautenschläger, T.; Neinhuis, C.; Simon, J. W.; Reese, S. (2022) Mechanical investigations of the peltate leaf of Stephania japonica (Menispermaceae): Experiments and a continuum mechanical material model in: Frontiers in Plant Science 13 – DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.994320

Macek, D.; Rjosk, A.; Ritzert, S.; Lautenschläger, T.; Neinhuis, C.; Reese, S. (2023) Numerical Simulations of the Mechanical Behavior of Plant Tissues as an Inspiration for Carbon Reinforced Concrete Structures in: Ilki, A.; Çavunt, D.; Çavunt, Y. S. [eds.] Building for the Future: Durable, Sustainable, Resilient – Proc. of fib Symposium 2023, 05.–07.06.2023 in Istanbul (Turkey), publ. in: Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 350, Cham: Springer, p. 1408–1417 – DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-32511-3_144

Macek, D.; Rjosk, A.; Ritzert; S.; Lautenschläger, T.; Neinhuis, C.; Reese, S. (2023) Pflanzengewebe als Inspiration für Carbonbeton-Strukturen: Morphologie und mechanisches Verhalten in: Bauingenieur 98, issue 07–08, p. 227–233 – DOI:10.37544/0005-6650-2023-07-08-49

Vorträge und Poster | Oral presentations and posters

Macek, D.; Holthusen, H.; Rjosk, A.; Ritzert, S.; Lautenschläger, T.; Neinhuis, C.; Simon, J. W.; Reese, S. (2022) A constitutive model for modeling the mechanical behavior of the peltate leaf of Stephania japonica (Menispermaceae) oral presentation at: 92^nd Annual Meeting of the International Association of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 15.–19.08.2022 in Aachen

Ritzert, S.; Holthusen, H.; Macek, D.; Rjosk, A.; Lautenschläger, T.; Neinhuis, C.; Reese, S. (2023) Modeling technique for petiole-lamina connections of peltate leaves in: ECCOMAS 7^th Young Investigators Conference YIC, 19.–21.06.2023 in Porto (Portugal, proceedings in preparation)

Rjosk, A.; Ritzert, S.; Macek, D.; Friese, D.; Neef, T.; Mechtcherine, V.; Cherif, C.; Reese, S.; Neinhuis, C.; Lautenschläger, T. (2023) A new approach to construction: using peltate leaves as inspiration in the design of novel carbon fibre reinforced concrete building components oral presentation at: 10. Bionik-Kongress, 12./13.05.2023 in Bremen (proceedings in preparation)

Studentische Arbeiten | Student's works

Ji, C. (2022) Numerical simulation of the anisotropic viscoelastic behavior of plant tissues at finite deformation [Bachelorarbeit].