Light, strong and flexible structures:
A designer’s dilemma and nature’s mastery
Abstract
Designs found in nature are functionally efficient, aesthetically pleasing and use material optimally. We can best appreciate nature’s mastery by understanding the fundamental operational principles. Of the many unique characteristics, building structures benefit greatly from lightweightness, deployability and adaptability. Certain phenomena that are considered as limit states or failures in structural design but which are used to advantage in nature will be discussed. This presentation will focus on what designers can learn from the materials, forms, and mechanisms (or processes) found in nature in order to design efficient structures.
BIO:
Dr. Sudarshan Krishnan has academic and professional experience in structural engineering and architecture. He specializes in the area of lightweight structures. His current research focuses on the structural design and behavior of cable domes, deployable structures, and form-finding of tensegrity and tensile membrane structures. He also researches on what structural engineers and architects can learn from the materials, forms, and mechanisms found in nature in order to design efficient structures. His accompanying interests include the study of elastic and geometric structural stability.
Professor Sudarshan serves on the Working Group-6: Tensile and Membrane Structures, of the International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures, and ASCE/ACI-421 Technical Committee on the Design of Reinforced Concrete Slabs.
From 2004-2007, Professor Sudarshan served on the faculty of the School of Architecture and ENSAV-Versailles Study Abroad Program in France. He has been a recipient of the “Excellence in Teaching Award” and has been consistently listed on the “UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students” for both architecture and civil engineering courses.