ABSTRACT
The proliferation of interactive modeling tools has given rise to computer-aided design (CAD) in digital architecture. Accordingly, algorithmic programming has overcome the limitations of traditional CAD, enabling the generation of custom-defined geometries beyond human manual ability. Furthermore, spurred by recent advancements in computational platforms, numerical simulation techniques have been widely embedded in computer-aided engineering (CAE). Moreover, developments in the production of engineered timber products such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) panels and the use of computer numerical control (CNC) machines for digital fabrication have resurrected the integral mechanical attachment (IMA) technique in timber plates. The IMA technique is used to join timber elements with only wood-wood interlocking mechanisms and without connectors. According to these advancements, an interdisciplinary design framework for timber plate structures has recently been introduced. The framework leads to the design of Integrally-Attached Timber Plate (IATP) structures with custom-defined forms. Chapter 1 introduces the state of the research in the design of spatial timber plate structures.
