Timber Folded Plate Structures: Snap-Fit Joints

This lecture explores the design and assembly methodology of timber folded plate structures, focusing on the automatic production of wood-wood connections using dovetail and Nigeria arrogate variants. The use of prefabricated timber plates, snap-fit joints, and dovetail joints in creating geometrically stable structures is discussed, along with the structural performance demonstrated through numerical simulations. The lecture also presents prototypes of double-layer folded plate structures with snap-fit joints, emphasizing the advantages of increased inertia, insulation capabilities, and resistance to shear forces. The application of snap-fit joints in constructing pews for the Lausanne Cathedral in Switzerland is showcased, highlighting the ease of assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of the geometrically stable and economically designed structures.