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From Earth to Space: 7,000 Years of Tongue and Groove Design

From Earth to Space: 7,000 Years of Tongue and Groove Design

Ancient architecture with Sun Mao building at the Palace Museum in Beijing Photo: VCG

The unique Chinese style bricks, consisting of two structures, a protruding tenon and a corresponding groove, made from artificial lunar soil, “could be used to build lunar space” after planned tests in space, says researcher Zhou Cheng. project manager for brick design, told the Global Times.

Tenon and groove brick structure, also known as brick structure. Sun Mao represents ancient Chinese architectural wisdom dating back to 5000 BC. Typical Sun Mao The design does not require glue or nails. Whether it was excavated from an archaeological site or modified for use on a lunar base, wisdom Sun Mao continues to this day and also inspires international designers.

Photo: VKG

Photo: VKG

The secret of coincidence

Typical building Sun Mao The design involves connecting two components by matching a protruding part, called a “tenon,” with a corresponding recessed part, known as a “groove.” “Tonk and groove” are called “sun” and “mao” respectively in Chinese culture and are commonly used to construct wooden buildings.

However, what will the construction of a lunar base consist of? This issue predates the brick construction project in China, to which Zhou told the Global Times that the “masonry and installation structure” together constitute a construction solution that is “minimally affected by sudden environmental factors such as lunar earthquakes and solar winds.” Zhou is also deputy director of the National Digital Construction Technology Innovation Center.

Unlike the cohesive structure, the prefabricated approach involves connecting many small prefabricated modular units that require Sun Mao The design was used in the manufacture of each of these units.

“Bricks with this structure have high compressive strength, each square centimeter can support a weight of 1,000 kilograms,” Zhou emphasized.

The durability of this construction technique has been proven for thousands of years, with its earliest known use dating back to the ruins of Hemudu in Zhejiang Province in Eastern China, dating back to 5000 BC.

Including the construction of the Palace Museum, impeccable craftsmanship has been applied to many ancient architectural structures, a prime example of which is the Fogong Temple Pagoda, also known as the Wooden Pagoda of Ying County, Shanxi Province.

The tallest and oldest wooden pagoda in the world, the temple’s mortise and tenon joints give it remarkable strength to “absorb and dissipate vibration energy during an earthquake,” Xu Yitao, an expert on ancient architecture, told the Global Times.

Although the design Sun Mao Prized in many countries such as Japan, its Chinese characteristics remain prominent as it represents the ideal of “harmony” praised in traditional Chinese philosophy.

“A delicate balance and integration was achieved when Sun Mao the concave and convex parts of the part coincided. The two parts seemed different, but actually complemented each other, and this is the “harmony” we maintain in Chinese culture,” said Wang Zhenhua, an heir to Chinese culture. Sun Mao technology, which is also a treasure of the country’s intangible cultural heritage.

“More than design”

Because it offers stability as well as flexibility and ease of assembly, this particular construction mechanism is now used in modern projects, keeping the culture alive in them.

In an effort to protect the culture of local minorities through modern methods, architect Chen Guodong adopted Sun Mao structures for the construction of wooden houses for the people of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province in southwest China.

The designer told the Global Times what it is Sun Mao seams have been used to build homes that are both “traditional and stylish.” These wooden structures, built without a single iron nail, are amazingly strong. New homes must withstand mountain winds and thick fog, while also displaying the elegance of traditional craftsmanship.

“The local craftsmen not only have great skill, but are also outstanding representatives of Dong ethnic culture,” Chen told the Global Times. In 2006, the wooden construction techniques of the Dong people were included in China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

“The value of the design is that it is applicable to various scenarios and can connect not only parts of the building, but the whole world with sustainable Chinese craftsmanship,” Fan Yi, an architecture expert who specializes in constructing such structures, told Global. Time.

“Sustainable Craftsmanship” is becoming popular not only among domestic designers, but also making its debut on international stages.

Taking inspiration from Sun Mao A student group from Donghua University presented their paper clothing projects at the 47th WorldSkills competition in Lyon, France.

Through extensive experimentation with materials such as DuPont paper and optical fiber light strips, a single paper product was created consisting of approximately 700 individual elements. Sun Mao components.

“Our designs are not just clothes, they are the crystallization of our love for traditional Chinese culture and our pursuit of the spirit of scientific and technological innovation,” said Yang Chen, a student who participated in the design project.