Digitally-driven Fabrication of Fiber-reinforced Composite Panels for Complex Shaped Envelopes

Composite materials have been explored in architecture for their high performance characteristics that allow the customization of functional properties of lightness, strength, stiffness, and fracture toughness. Particularly, engineering advancements and better understanding of fiber composites have resulted in growing applications for architectural structures and envelopes. The authors introduce results of new digitally driven fabrication methods for fiber-reinforced composite sandwich panels for complex shaped buildings. The researchers conducted experiments focusing on developing a digitally controlled deformable mold to create composite relief structures for highly customized geometrical facade components. Research findings about production materials, fabrication methods, and assembly techniques are discussed to offer insights into novel opportunities for architectural composite panel fabrication and commercialization.