PoliBrick plugin as a parametric tool for digital stereotomy modelling

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a new plugin that is both simple and user-friendly for the digital modelling of multiple brick patterns in 3D on any surface, from simple flat walls to complex single and double curvature geometries. The plugin, named PoliBrick, is specifically conceived to assist in modelling different types of brickwork shells with intricate patterns, such as masonry arches and vaults. It excels in streamlining parametric modelling across a broad spectrum of free-form curved surfaces, standing out from existing tools. Developed for Rhino software within the Grasshopper environment, PoliBrick features an intuitive interface and comprises only six essential components. Its parametric method makes it competitive with any procedure documented in the literature, as it can accurately replicate brick assemblies on all types of free-form shells. PoliBrick can reproduce, with immediate feedback, any brick arrangement, including patterns like basket weave, stretcher bond, herringbone bond, and many others. Such a functionality addresses a significant gap in current software tools, which cannot often handle curved geometries with complex brick layouts. Moreover, the new plugin can be integrated into a variety of software tools to enable pre-analysis capabilities for the structural evaluation of single and double curvature vaulted structures, using preferred methods like finite element or distinct element approaches. It also supports robotic fabrication processes by considering paths and construction order, enhancing its practical utility in modern construction techniques. PoliBrick is benchmarked on some case studies to demonstrate the validity of the developed procedure and the robustness of the proposed algorithm, which is expected to be effective in markedly reducing the computational effort in pre-structural analysis modelling phases and allows designers to take into account the non-negligible role of stereotomy in curved structures.