Design Optimization of Tree-Shaped Structural Systems and Sustainable Architecture Using Bamboo and Earthen Materials

Abstract

The objective of this research is to support sustainable architecture where renewable materials (such as plant-based materials and soil) are used for construction. The use of renewable materials and earthen building techniques in structural design represent important construction practices to mitigate the associated carbon footprint. In this study we propose structural systems that will be constructed using renewable materials such as bamboo, that probably is the most well-known renewable material and has long been valued as an alternative to wood. The main goal of the study is to design tree-shaped structural systems using the advanced characteristics of Guadua angustifolia, a clumping variety of bamboo chiefly native to South America, and to test its effectiveness by means of a structural parametric design optimization approach. For this purpose, an elliptical and a quadrangular structural system is parametrized and optimized to effectively support the design loads imposed by the roof that is supported by the proposed structural systems.