Deltaribs - unprecedented freedom of structural shapes

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Design principle

Structural

Fabrication

Applications

A network structure consisting of Deltaribs. Each rib is made of three curved sheets.

Delta Ribs are structural elements for buildings with irregularly curved shapes. Whereas such shapes would conventionally lead to highly complex and often heavy structures, Delta Rib-structures can be shaped according to the architectural and structural needs. Through twisting and curving the system can follow the contours of curved building envelopes, facades and canopies.

The solution to this demanding brief is to create ribs of triangular cross section from three bespoke curved sheets of steel. Next, a number of ribs together constitute a network structure. Neither the ribs nor the network in which they are applied consist of standard components; both are custom-designed by the designer. The principle works with four sheets too, but three is the minimum to create a closed section.

The underlying principle of Deltaribs: three intersecting single-curved surfaces.

Three examples of Deltaribs. The ribs' non-constant cross sections that allows following the local structural need, and connect to other ribs without any jumps.