Curved Folded Plate Timber Structures

Current research at the laboratory for timber construction IBOIS at EPFL focuses on shell structures. Two main families are investigated: shells made of linear elements, as timber rib shells, and shells made of surface elements, typically folded plate structures. With regard to timber rib shells, bent linear timber elements are used to create the shape of a shell. With folded plate structures, new timber derived products are used to create structures made of planar panels, where the panel simultaneously covers space and acts as load bearing element. Indeed, timber industry has developed in the last fifteen years new large-size timber panels. Composition and dimensions of these panels and the possibility of milling them with Computer Numerical Controlled machines shows great potential for folded plate structures. In the present paper we investigate to combine both approaches using bent timber panels for curved folded plate structures.