Structural morphology and performance of plated structures with planar quadrilateral facets

The aim of this paper is to present some innovative strategies for the design of plated shell structures. Fabrication constraints are carefully considered, as the obtained shapes are covered with planar quadrilateral facets only. Different corrugation strategies are investigated, and our method guarantees extension of the shape generation to complex topologies. Few parameters control the amplitude of corrugations, which also gives us the opportunity to perform a sensitivity analysis on the influence of corrugations on the structural performance of folded-plate structures. The study focuses on the influence of the mechanical attachment between plates on the overall structural performance as well as fabrication rationality.