ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: The paper demonstrates the possibilities of surface discretization as a function of material properties and unit mesh geometry. We demonstrate how various methods for generating quadrilateral meshing can be achieved without the need for complete planarity of unit surface meshes. Planarity limitations can be set for different materials, through controlling the amount of distortion for each material type and unit geometry. Our focus is on materials that can transmit light with transparency and translucency such as glass and transparent polymers. Materials distortion is largely governed by the limits of prestress that a material can withstand in combination with service load stresses. In our paper we demonstrate how these limits can be established, using the results of non-linear finite element simulation combined with laboratory testing. This approach has practical design implications and we demonstrate how these principles can be applied to realizing optimal discretization of complex surface geometries.