Transforming a Cantilever with Fixed Joints into Trussed Configurations: A Case Study in Creative Design Thinking &amp; Prototyping

Filz, Günther H.; Eberle, Robert; Nagl, Pia V.; Weinold, Thomas

doi:10.2478/acee-2025-0009

Figures & Tables

Realized T1 configuration of the Y-shaped, cantilever arm assembled from standardized beech wood profiles and bespoke, 3D printed joints

Left: Benchmark Y-shaped, polyhedral cantilever with fixed joints in side and top view. Right: T1 with coordinates, and indication of node 10 (load point c10), node 23 (load point c23), and node 15 (0/0/0 = c0)

Y-shaped, polyhedral cantilever with fixed joints as benchmark versus configurations T1-T5. The arrows indicate the differences between the individual configurations

Figure 4.

Optimized cross-sections for beech wood (color coded) for configurations T1 to T5. Dimensions of standardized circular profile cross-sections in 2, 2.2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, and 6 cm in diameter

Configuration T1 and its displacements as simulated in Karamba3D. The cantilever was loaded by self-weight and vertical loads of 0.5 kN to both nodes 10 and 23

Left: Resultant force replacing concentrical tension rods in multi-arm nodes by use of graphic statics. Center: 3D printing Node 11 including two through-the-joint-mounted fittings (also see Figure 8) by PrusaSlicer, Prusa i3 MK3 and PLA NX2. Right: 3D printed joints ready for T1 assembly

Left: Two point-clouds from laser-scan with local coordinate system, target balls and reconstructed cylinders. Center: Scans from unloaded (green) and loaded (red) structure. Right: Example of reconstructed cylinder from approximately 1300 scanned points

Top: Overview of nodes. Bottom left: Node 19 with six wooden members and one threated tension rod. Bottom center: Node 19 in the realized structure. Bottom Right: Identical point

c→19
{\vec {\rm c}_{19}}

(blue dot) of the joint i=19 with six wooden members — Top: Overview of nodes. Bottom left: Node 19 with six wooden members and one threated tension rod. Bottom center: Node 19 in the realized structure. Bottom Right: Identical point c→19 {\vec {\rm c}_{19}} (blue dot) of the joint i=19 with six wooden members

Results of the computational comparison between the different configurations at the two load points

		load point c→10 {{\rm{\vec c}}_{{\rm{10}}}}		load point c→23 {{\rm{\vec c}}_{{\rm{23}}}}
Difference vector Δc→i {\rm{\Delta }}{{\rm{\vec c}}_i} :	Δx [cm]:	3.21		1.39
	Δy [cm]:	0.52		1.84
	Δz: [cm]:	3.60		3.57
Euclidian norm Δc→i \left\\| {{\rm{\Delta }}{{{\rm{\vec c}}}_i}} \right\\| [cm]:		4.85		4.25
Directional angle α_i [°]:		0.1		0.4
		initial configuration	end configuration	initial configuration	end configuration
elevation to the horizontal plane β_i [°]:		40.43	39.69	27.41	26.79

Transforming a Cantilever with Fixed Joints into Trussed Configurations: A Case Study in Creative Design Thinking & Prototyping

Figures & Tables

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Figure 8.

Results of the computational comparison between the different configurations at the two load points

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