Fifteen years ago, while on summer vacation in the Landes region, German physicist Claus Mattheck stood pondering in front of a coastal pine tree. Despite being buffeted by strong westerly winds, the tree leaned but did not break.
“Logically, the pine should have broken or uprooted,” he thought to himself. This phenomenon sparked the curiosity of the scientist, who wanted to understand why trees could withstand storms.
When opposing forces increase, trees generate more wood at the necessary points.
Upon returning to Germany, Claus Mattheck became interested in a mechanical issue: the threshold of tolerance, beyond which a structure may collapse. For instance, when a crane lifts a heavy object, the upper part stretches while the lower part compresses. Metals are subjected to strong opposing forces. If pressure and tension are not evenly distributed, the points under the most load will eventually deform, leading to cracks and ultimately collapse. Until now, engineers have reinforced structures that must endure strong opposing forces by increasing thickness. Consequently, the overall thickness is determined by the weakest point, resulting in heavier and more expensive equipment.
Claus Mattheck measured the weak points of trees, such as branch junctions. He then analyzed the data on a computer and found that when faced with storm winds, the trunk and branches respond similarly to the upper part of a crane. So why do they not break?
Mattheck discovered that nature had found a simple solution: when opposing forces increase, trees generate more wood at the necessary points. During extreme storms, pressure and tension are evenly distributed across the surface.
This discovery has improved architectural components through a modeling software. The software simulates the pressures that components must endure and then thickens the weak points. When a component can withstand maximum tension, it achieves a perfect shape. Although it may be difficult for the average person to notice the difference, such architectural components can increase longevity by up to 100 times.
Currently, about 10 research centers worldwide are working in the field of biomimetics. Scientists have yet to fully exploit the advantages of nature. There are hopes to replicate the pristine systems found in nature into engineering. For example, there are plans to create a helicopter that can flap its wings like a goose or to replace ship propellers with a dolphin’s tail, or equip all-terrain vehicles with grasshopper-like legs.
Here are some examples of biomimetics in the latest research and applications Termite mounds can reach several meters in height and have extensive networks of tunnels. Regardless of rain or wind, the interior temperature remains stable between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, with humidity around 90%. In 1996 in Zimbabwe, architects drew inspiration from termite mounds to build a shopping center and an office complex with natural ventilation systems. Cool air from the courtyard enters the building, where warm air is expelled through chimneys. This system replaces air conditioning. Balanus (barnacle) is only a few centimeters long but can synthesize a type of adhesive resistant to seawater. This substance quickly hardens upon secretion, forming a completely sealed adhesive. Before long, the field of bioengineering will allow for the production of such adhesives, which are non-polluting and inexpensive. |
