Elastool

“Elastool” is the demonstration of a hybrid-material deployable system made from natural fibers and timber. It is presented as a new paradigm in fiber structures and an alternative to coreless filament winding (CFW). The novel contribution of this project is the development of post-tensioned meshes that can be produced with Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP) in a flat state and transformed into tridimensional components without the need of molds or scaffolding. The project consists on the combination of a post-tensioned mesh tailored with Flax fibers on elastic fabric; glass fibers tensors for actuation; and wooden plates as elastic frames. By using a developed form-finding method the flat fiber reinforcement layout is programmed to be precisely formed into a spatial object when subject to tension, without the need of external formwork or assisting devices. As a result, a wide range of topological component variations can be produced under similar fabrication conditions, while allowing their transportation in a flat state, fast post-processing, and a swift assembly, erection, and locking on site.

This project is situated in the field of deployable structures and lightweight construction for applications in industrial design and construction. The advantages of the proposed design and fabrication system were tested in the form of a lightweight stool.