Holistic performance assessment of gridshells: methodological framework and applications to steel gridshells

Gridshells are a paradigmatic example of the intricate concept and analysis of building structures. Their design should simultaneously take into account different goals and meet final performances, by referring to multiple disciplinary competences such as the ones of architects, engineers, builders, and experts in mathematics and computer graphics. The present study provides a deep insight into a new framework for the holistic performance assessment of gridshells. The overall performance is quantitatively expressed as the linear combination of three partial metrics, referring to structural response, buildability and sustainability. Each partial metric combines multiple goal metrics, some defined in the current state of the art, others proposed by the Authors. The proposed method is tested with reference to three gridshells with their spring line partially unconstrained, and to their fully-constrained counterparts. This application is intended to shed light on the scarcely investigated mechanical behaviour of free- edge gridshells, and to be inspirational for future proposals of design/optimization solutions within the newborn FreeGrid international benchmark.