Multy body Rope Approach and Funicular Prototype for a new constructive system for catenary arches

The proposed method for the definition of the form is based on a multi-body rope approach (MRA) with masses connected by inextensible ropes characterized by a certain slack coefficient and by different constraint conditions. These parameters played a fundamental role in the definition of the shallowness ratio of the grid (rope), and therefore in the effect of the instability of the reversed shape under loading. In this paper, different MRA enhancing strategies were proposed and discussed. These approaches were used to determine the final shape of a funicular prototype for a pavilion inspired by Guarino Guarini’s architecture. The prototype project is based on the principle of Gaudi’s inverted catenary arch. It is composed of a series of arches, each one obtained hanging a metallic chain – which assumed the shape of a catenary curve – and then welding all the rings in order to fix its form. Different possible configurations will be described in this paper.