Isabel Moreira de Oliveira

email:

imdo [at] princeton.edu

I am a Ph.D. Candidate at the Form Finding Lab, at Princeton University. I develop lightweight structural systems through the study of computational morphology and origami engineering with Prof. Sigrid Adriaenssens. My research is currently funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation through the Institute for Data Driven Dynamical Design.

I hold a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of São Paulo, Brazil (2016-2019). There, I developed a custom connection system for rigid gridshell structures with advice from Prof. Ruy Pauletti and in collaboration with Prof. Leila Meneghetti. I also obtained a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) (2010-2015), and spent an academic year abroad at Cornell University (2013).

I worked at Arup Brazil, first as a project management intern (2014-2015) in projects such as the Rio Metro Line 4 South review, and then as a structural engineer (2015-2016), designing prestressed concrete beams in a residential building by Zaha Hadid Architects. Before that, I interned at Todd Zwigard Architects in the summer of 2013.

selected publications

Connection System for Gridshell Structures Using Parametric Modeling and Digital Fabrication

Isabel M. de Oliveira, Ruy Marcelo De Oliveira Pauletti , and Leila Cristina Meneghetti

Automation in Construction, Jan 2020

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Lightweight structures in grid form made of elements joined together with nodes are called reticulated shells, or gridshells. We propose a new connection system and method for gridshell structures. The connection system applies to grids that have a high variability of curvature and connection parameters. The connection uses standardized hub geometries and interconnecting parts. The elements of the structure connect to the hubs through these interconnecting parts, which absorb varying parameters of the connection, such as incidence, twist, and adjacency angles, and the fabrication tolerance of element lengths and bolted connections. The aim is to provide a system that can be assembled quickly, disassembled and reused. We use parametric modeling environment to model global and local geometry of meshes and nodes. Inputs for the programmed parametric definition include a discretized surface, geometry of the hub notch, and element cross-sections; outputs include element lengths, interconnecting parts geometries, and assembly information. We present a physical model that serves as a proof of the concept developed within the computational modeling environment. Finally, we discuss the scalability of the model and future work.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of a Rotational Kirigami System

Isabel M. de Oliveira, Eduardo M. Sosa , Emily Baker , and Sigrid Adriaenssens

Thin-Walled Structures, Nov 2023

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Engineered kirigami strategies enable structural systems that reduce cost and energy through flat-packing and rapid assembly. We studied the effect of the polygonal shape and cut pattern on the structural behavior of rotational kirigami units under tension and compression loads. Multi-step finite element models were developed, compared to experiments, and shown to predict experimental results robustly in the decimeter scale. We evaluate buckling-to-deployment load ratios, showing the load-carrying capacity of the system, and present a sensitivity analysis on localized geometric imperfections. These verified models can be used to further develop the system for load-carrying applications at larger scales.