Exploring Rigid Plates Integration in Barrel Vault Deployable Scissor Systems

Scissor systems, characterized by their inherent elegance, unmatched deployability, and rapid construction, are a notable class of kinetic structures. These systems offer advantageous temporary solutions for deployable architectural applications, fostering circularity in both structural elements and materials. While scissor systems utilize bars and beams to form functional scissors units, the effective covering of these units remains a challenging task. The aspiration of such systems is to achieve optimal covering that controls the environmental conditions within the created space while maintaining the ease of deployment and optimal system performance. A large number of research studies have focused on coupling the scissor systems with soft covers to enclose spaces. Soft materials provide a convenient and flexible form that effortlessly follows the mechanism of scissors units with ease and lightness. However, the resulting temporary space is susceptible to security concerns and renders it vulnerable to vandalism, theft, or material and weather damage. As an alternative to soft covers, this paper explores the feasibility of a real-scale system that combines rigid covers with scissor units, employing a singly curved geometry. In the proposed system, the plates provide a covering for the space but also offer a structural function within the system. The design aims to merge the fundamental deployability mechanisms of scissor structures with the stiffness of rigid plates, thereby creating an enclosed hybrid system that is structurally competitive, more secure, and durable compared to widely used textile structures, yet maintains the ease and flexibility of deployable scissor grids. This study utilized parametric simulation and physical models to explore the geometrical design of the integrated system of a vault-like scissor system.