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Feasibility Studies on Grid Shell Structures as a Progressive Architectural Paradigm
Architectural/Structural Understanding of Grid Shell’s logics to Find out Secret Capacities
Ali Bazazan
Master of Architecture Student, Department of Architecture, WTIAU, 2016

I. Abstract
In the 21st century, as free form design gains popularity, free-form grid shells are becoming a universal structural solution, enabling merger of structure and facade into a single layer - a skin. The subject of the presented work is the optimization of grid structures over some predefined free form shape, with the goal of generating a stable and statically efficient structure. It is shown how combining design and FEM software in an iterative, Genetic Algorithms based, optimization process, stress and displacements in grid shell structures can be significantly reduced, whereby material can be saved and stability enhanced. Within this research, design and static analysis software are combined in order to perform a statical optimization of grid shells, generated over a given free form surface. A plug-in for Rhinoceros 3D (software based on NURBS geometry representation) is developed, that uses Genetic Algorithms as an optimization method and implements automated iterative calls to Oasys GSA (commercial FEM static analysis software) in order to generate a statically optimal grid shell. The results of the studies are there to prove its efficiency and credibility. Once it is proved that the method works, its application can take various forms and be left to the creativity of the user and the requirements of the specific project.
Key words: Grid shell structure, Form-finding, Particle-spring system, Structural optimization, Dynamic relaxation, Hanging model