Adaptive structures have the potential to play a significant role in saving resources in the construction industry in the future. For realisation, this requires actuators that meet the requirements of different buildings with their specific load-bearing structures. In the past, the actuators were mainly developed particularly for one exemplary load-bearing structure. This paper analyses the primary classifications for buildings, followed by challenges of adaptive structures, before outlining the draft of a framework for actuators for adaptive structures to speed up and simplify development.

This paper presents the design, manufacturing and experimental assessment of a morphing element consisting of a composite corrugated panel that hosts a diffused actuation system based on Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators. The characterisation of the SMA actuators is reported and the system performance is predicted through an analytical model and finite element analyses. Two versions of the actuated system are proposed, with different methods for the physical integration of the SMA wires into the composite part. Manufacturing and testing of specimens with different wire densities are reported. Correlation with experiments validates the analytical and numerical approaches adopted for the design and analyses. The results confirm the potential of the concept proposed for developing corrugated panels that can be contracted in a predefined direction by a load-bearing actuation system, but still retain high stiffness and strength properties in other directions.