Organizations associated with light structures
You will find a selection of links here.
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Cocoon Lightstructures Häring Nepple AG Hebelstrasse 75 CH-4056 Basel Phone +41 61 260 11 60 Fax +41 61 260 11 63 info@cocoon.ch |
Light structures or the lightweight construction method has its roots in the aeronautics and space industry. By the late 19th century, pioneers of aviation like the Wright Brothers were already intensively exploring the multifaceted possibilities offered by lightweight construction. Today, with economic and environmental factors playing a major role in overall decision-making, lightweight construction techniques are growing ever more important in building construction as well.
The lightweight construction method
The lightweight construction method is a philosophy of construction aiming at keeping weight down to the lowest possible amount. There are many different reasons for opting for lightweight construction. Persuasive arguments in favour of the method are the savings in raw materials and bulk that are usually associated with savings on energy investment.
Lightweight system construction
In lightweight system construction the focus is on the entire system, rather than the individual component. Functional integration may mean that a single construction element becomes heavier, but the savings generated through functional integration means that the system as a whole is lighter, achieving the objective of lightweight system construction.
Structures in the lightweight steel construction method
Low weight, load-bearing capacity and variability in use are the advantages offered by the standard construction techniques that use lightweight steel. The dry-construction structures used in interior work are fairly well-known, and there is widespread appreciation of their good structural characteristics. However, lightweight steel frames can also be used in buildings that are up to four stories high. Unlike timber post-and-beam construction, the thin-walled C, U or Z frames allow the use of several different joining techniques; a wide range of materials can be used to plank them and they are also non-combustible. In Germany, this relatively new construction method is not yet very widespread: only ca. 1% of residential buildings are based on lightweight steel frames. That proportion is considerably higher in Japan and Sweden, at ca. 15%.
Literature on light structures
You will find more information on lightweight construction here.
