Peregrine software designed to find optimal designs in seconds, particularly during the conceptual phase
Peregrine is a new structural optimisation plug-in for Rhino’s algorithmic modelling tool Grasshopper that is designed to rapidly identify highly efficient (minimum volume) frame topologies for any given set of loads, supports and material properties.
According to LimitState, the developer of the software, the key benefit is that it allows near-globally optimal solutions to often be obtained in seconds, with these readily transformable into more practical designs using a range of built-in tools. It’s particularly suited to conceptual design.
A technology preview is available free-of-charge until 30 June 2020. The software will then be available on subscription, although there will still be a free package available to academic users for teaching and research.
Peregrine has been developed as part of the UK government-funded BUILD-OPT research project. It involved the Universities of Sheffield, Bath and Edinburgh, AECOM, Arup, BuroHappold, Expedition Engineering, IStructE, Ramboll and the Steel Construction Institute.
An enhanced version of Peregrine is currently being developed as part of a partnership between LimitState, the University of Sheffield and Arup. This will incorporate tools to enable more complex building design problems to be tackled.
“Given the climate crisis there is an urgent need to reduce the material consumption associated with the construction sector,” said BUILD-OPT project principal investigator and LimitState MD Prof. Matthew Gilbert. “We therefore think it is important for engineers to have access to tools such as Peregrine that are capable of rapidly identifying materially efficient designs.”
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