Colliding Objects for Interlocking Blocks Earthquake Simulation

Good morning everyone!

My dissertation is focused on a material system based on interlocking blocks able to provide safety in case of earthquake.

Several small physical tests have been carried out on a shaking table, with concrete cast blocks (simple geometries). As the studies go on, more complex geometries emerge, and the actual fabrication for testing is becoming time consuming.

I wander if, and how, kangaroo would be able to help me in simulating earthquake accelerations and the correspondent forces applied on block that compose a surface, assuming they are actual volumes and interact with one another.

The basic assumption is the first row of bricks is moving with the "ground" while the rest of the blocks should not fall thanks to their interlocking. By movement i mean oscillation that would make the first row going back and forth with a certain period and acceleration.

I'm attaching the model of what i mean by interlocking blocks, I'd appreciate some tips on how to start setting up the kangaroo definition.

Thanks a lot!

Lorenzo

Attachments:

Interlocking Bricks.3dm, 2.4 MB

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lorenzo Franceschini on August 5, 2015 at 9:51am

Hi,

I somehow managed to get on with my work, solving some of the issues i had.

The cyclical load is solved as shown in the picture.

Problems i'm facing now, is the interaction with multiple objects, while 2 or 3 objects seem to respond to physical behaviors, more objects start flying around and get distorted (even with the rigid body component).

Could it be the way primitive breps referenced are built?

Attachments:

Timer.PNG, 82 KB

Permalink Reply by Leonardo Claremont on January 17, 2016 at 6:25am

Hi! I'm working on something very similar. Did you find any solution to the problem?

Leo

Permalink Reply by Lorenzo Franceschini on January 17, 2016 at 3:09pm

Hello Leo,

unfortunately this is how far i was able to go. We managed to solve some of the structural issues using the software Strand7, but is far from being optimal, considering the back and forth from rhino space..

It's a pity kangaroo has such issues, it could be extremely powerful.

Lorenzo

Permalink Reply by riccardo calciano on December 19, 2019 at 8:48am

Ciao Lorenzo, anche io ho una struttura a blocchi interconessi; una volta catenaria a doppia curvatura. Mi sapresti indicare cosa e come usare se Kangaroo o altro, per capire il comportamento dei blocchi soggetti a sola forza di gravità?

Grazie.

Riccardo

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