Structural Performance and Nesting Efficiency of segmented, point-supported, slabs for co-designed timber architecture

Climate change requires the economical use of all raw materials, including renewable construction materials such as timber. The aim of this study is to understand the interdependencies between structural and nesting performance to define the segmentation method that uses the least raw material. To do this, six segmentation methods are compared for 16 floor plans. Based on these simulations the amount of raw material needed per project is estimated for two timber building systems: one solid and the other hollow. Two of the developed segmentation methods are competitive with the commonly used regular segmentation method in terms of their raw material use. The overall performance however is dependent on the column layout, the boundary shape of the floor plan, and the chosen building system.