To design with a changing ecosystem requires examining and understanding site dynamics, extracting guidelines for making architectural decisions and defi ning processes that allow for change. Sable Island National Park is an ideal case study to test this method because its simple and dynamic ecosystem defi nes clear guidelines and requirements for adaptation. The proposed National Park infrastructure remodels human interaction with Sable Island by replacing and remediating existing settlements. Designed to be sensitive to and participate in the island’s natural processes, the new architecture protects the delicate ecosystem and facilitates low impact visitation. The systems, spaces and experiences serve to deepen understanding of human interdependence with the environment. / The thesis is a architectural case study for designing with dynamic ecosystems. To test a methodology for designing in dynamic ecosystems, a National Park infrastructure is designed for Sable Island, Canada. The exercise requires learning from the dynamic ecosystem, extracting guidelines for making design choices and developing designs with the capacity to adapt to their surroundings.

Shape memory materials have been known for many years to possess the unique ability of memorising their shape at some temperature. If these materials are pre-strained into the plastic range, they tend to recover their original un-strained shapes via phase transformation when subjected to heat stimulation. In recent years, this shape memory effect (SME) or strain recovery capability has been explored in aerospace structures for actuating the real-time movement of structural components. Among all the shape memory materials, the nickel-titanium based shape memory alloy (SMA) has by far received the most attention because of its high recovery capabilities. Since SMAs are usually drawn into the form of wires, they are particularly suitable for being integrated into fibre-reinforced composite structures. These integrated composite structures with SMA wires are thus called smart adaptive structures. To achieve the SME, these wires are normally embedded in the host composite structures. In returning to their unstrained shape upon heat application, they tend to exert internal stresses on the host composite structures in which they are embedded. This action could result in a controlled change in shape of the structural components. Although there has been a significant amount of research dedicated to characterising and modelling the SME of SMA wires, little experimental work had been done to offer an in-depth understanding of the mechanical behaviour of these smart adaptive polymeric composite structures. This project examined the deflection and shape change of carbon/epoxy and glass/epoxy cantilever beams through heating and cooling of internal nitinol SMA wires/strips. The heat damage mechanism and cyclic behaviour are major factors in the operation of such a system and need to be clearly understood in order to develop and gain confidence for the possible implementation of future smart actuating systems. Therefore, the objectives of the proposed research were to investigate (i) effect of embedding SMA, wires on mechanical properties of host composite, (ii) assessment of single-cycle and multiple-cycle actuation performance of smart beams, and (iii) thermal effects of excessive heat on the surrounding composite matrix.

Les propriétés thermomécaniques étonnantes des alliages à mémoire de forme (AMF) sont mises à profit dans de nombreux domaines. Ce matériau est capable de mettre en mouvement une structure suite à un changement de température. Or les façades de bâtiments contemporains, pour s’adapter à des conditions climatiques variables, doivent réguler le passage de la lumière et de l’énergie thermique, par exemple au moyen de systèmes motorisés. Le potentiel de fils AMF pour l’actionnement de protections solaires en façade est exploré ici. La modélisation du couplage mécanique induit par l’introduction de tels matériaux dans une structure a été peu étudiée : l’AMF agit sur la structure qui en retour modifie le comportement de l’AMF. La première étape de ce travail a consisté en une contribution à la modélisation du comportement thermomécanique de ce matériau reposant sur le choix d’une énergie libre, d’un potentiel de dissipation et de plusieurs variables internes. Deux modèles unidimensionnels ont été proposés : un premier modèle monocristallin reproduit de façon simplifiée le comportement du matériau, et un second modèle polycristallin propose une description plus fidèle. En parallèle un dispositif d’essai original à température contrôlée a été développé, il a permis une caractérisation fiable de fils Nickel-Titane et l’identification des paramètres des modèles. Dans un second temps ces modèles ont permis de résoudre des cas de couplage élémentaires (fil AMF + ressort, lame élastique + fil AMF noyé) pour des chargements thermomécaniques simples, et des solutions analytiques ont été établies. Les modèles ont été implémentés numériquement via un script matériau utilisateur (UMAT) pour le logiciel éléments finis ABAQUS et au moyen d’un algorithme d’optimisation sous contraintes. Ceci permet de simuler la réponse couplée de systèmes structuraux a priori quelconques intégrant des AMF, connectés à ou noyés dans, une structure. Dans un troisième temps, divers actionneurs ont été conçus, réalisés et testés dans le cadre de l’occultation solaire des façades. Le principe est d’utiliser un cycle de température permettant à l’AMF de déformer la structure, puis à l’énergie élastique de déformation de la structure d’assurer le retour à la forme originale. Le comportement réel de ces actionneurs a été comparé aux calculs analytiques et éléments finis. Des tests cycliques ont également été réalisés / The surprising thermomechanical properties of shape memory alloys (SMA) are harnessed in many engineering fields. This material is able to set a structure in motion upon a temperature change. Today, contemporary building facades must adapt to variable climate conditions as well as to evolving building use and occupancy. In particular, they must regulate light and thermal energy passing through the facade, with motorized systems, for example. We explore the potential of SMA wires for putting in motion solar shading devices in facades. The modelling of the mechanical coupling induced by the introduction of such materials in a structure has received little attention as of now. The SMA acts on the structure which in return modifies the SMA behavior. The first step of this work is a contribution to modelling the thermomechanical behavior of this material through the choice of a free energy, a dissipation potential and internal variables. We propose two one-dimensional models: a first monocrystalline model reproduces the material behavior in a simplified way, and a second polycrystalline model offers a more accurate description of it. An original temperature-controlled testing apparatus was developed in parallel. This led to a reliable characterization of Nickel-Titanium wires and the identification of the model parameters. In a second stage, these models allowed to solve elementary coupling cases (SMA wire + Spring, Elastic plate + Embedded SMA wire) for simple thermomechanical loadings and we established analytical solutions. The models were then numerically implemented via a user-material script (UMAT) for the finite elements software ABAQUS, by using a constrained optimization algorithm. This enables the simulation of the coupled response of, in principle, any structural system including SMA wires, connected or embedded in the structure. Finally, we designed, fabricated and tested different actuators in the context of sunlight control in facades. The working principle lies in using a temperature cycle which allows the SMA to deform the structure, and then allows the elastic strain energy in the structure to ensure the return to the original shape. The real behavior of these actuators have been compared to analytical and finite element calculations. We also performed cyclic tests

Fenômenos aeroelásticos podem levar à drástica redução na vida útil de uma aeronave ou ainda resultam em danos severos à estrutura. Para manter as respostas dinâmicas em níveis aceitáveis técnicas como as estruturas adaptativas têm sido aplicadas. Este conceito explora a integração entre os elementos ativos (atuadores e sensores) e o controlador à estrutura. Dentre os materiais próprios para uso em estruturas adaptativas estão os fluidos eletro-reológicos e magneto-reológicos que tem se mostrado como um dos mais promissores materiais ativos. Estes materiais apresentam rápidas mudanças nas suas propriedades reológicas devido à ação de um campo elétrico ou magnético. Para sua incorporação em uma estrutura é utilizada uma viga sanduíche que tem seu comportamento dinâmico modelado através do método GHM para incorporar a dependência da freqüência dos fluidos ER/MR em um modelo estrutural no domínio do tempo. Através do acoplamento deste modelo com o método da malha de vórtices, é possível estudar a resposta aeroelástica temporal. Também é analisada a eficiência dos fluidos ER/MR no atraso da ocorrência de flutter. Isto é feito com o auxílio do método PK que determina a velocidade crítica de flutter. / Aeroelastic phenomena can lead to a drastic reduction in the fatigue life of aircraft or result in severe structural damage. To keep the dynamical responses at acceptable levels techniques such as the so-called adaptive structures have been adopted. This approach integrates active elements and controllers (actuators and sensors) to the structure. Among the materials suitable for adaptive structures are the electro-rheological (ER) and magneto-rheological fluids which are some of the most promising active materials. This kind of materials presents change in their rheological properties due to action of an external field, such as electrical or magnetic. In order to integrate these kind of fluids in the structure a sandwich beam with ER/MR fluids core is studied. The dynamical behaviour is modelled through a GHM method to incorporate the frequency dependence of the ER/MR fluids in a structural time domain model. By coupling this model to a vortex lattice model, it is possible to study the aeroelastic response in time domain. The ER/MR fluids efficiency to delay the flutter occurrence is also studied by using a PK-method that determines a critical velocity of flutter.

Fenômenos aeroelásticos podem levar à drástica redução na vida útil de uma aeronave ou ainda resultam em danos severos à estrutura. Para manter as respostas dinâmicas em níveis aceitáveis técnicas como as estruturas adaptativas têm sido aplicadas. Este conceito explora a integração entre os elementos ativos (atuadores e sensores) e o controlador à estrutura. Dentre os materiais próprios para uso em estruturas adaptativas estão os fluidos eletro-reológicos e magneto-reológicos que tem se mostrado como um dos mais promissores materiais ativos. Estes materiais apresentam rápidas mudanças nas suas propriedades reológicas devido à ação de um campo elétrico ou magnético. Para sua incorporação em uma estrutura é utilizada uma viga sanduíche que tem seu comportamento dinâmico modelado através do método GHM para incorporar a dependência da freqüência dos fluidos ER/MR em um modelo estrutural no domínio do tempo. Através do acoplamento deste modelo com o método da malha de vórtices, é possível estudar a resposta aeroelástica temporal. Também é analisada a eficiência dos fluidos ER/MR no atraso da ocorrência de flutter. Isto é feito com o auxílio do método PK que determina a velocidade crítica de flutter. / Aeroelastic phenomena can lead to a drastic reduction in the fatigue life of aircraft or result in severe structural damage. To keep the dynamical responses at acceptable levels techniques such as the so-called adaptive structures have been adopted. This approach integrates active elements and controllers (actuators and sensors) to the structure. Among the materials suitable for adaptive structures are the electro-rheological (ER) and magneto-rheological fluids which are some of the most promising active materials. This kind of materials presents change in their rheological properties due to action of an external field, such as electrical or magnetic. In order to integrate these kind of fluids in the structure a sandwich beam with ER/MR fluids core is studied. The dynamical behaviour is modelled through a GHM method to incorporate the frequency dependence of the ER/MR fluids in a structural time domain model. By coupling this model to a vortex lattice model, it is possible to study the aeroelastic response in time domain. The ER/MR fluids efficiency to delay the flutter occurrence is also studied by using a PK-method that determines a critical velocity of flutter.