The History of Honeycomb Construction Design

Jun 8, 2017

The use of honeycomb construction design has been in place for thousands of years, and continues to find new uses into the modern world. Through honeycomb construction design, you can produce a low-density and high-strength material for a variety of applications. The honeycomb derives its name from the hexagonal shape with which the walls of beehives are constructed, and has been used in different types of construction with increasing frequency over the past century.

Ancient World

The hexagonal shape of natural honeycomb construction design employed by hive-building insects was first observed in antiquity. In the year 36 BCE, Marcus Varro was credited with geometrically working out that hexagons are a highly efficient use of building materials and space. However, the practical use of hexagons was not until the re-construction of the Pantheon in Rome, where the dome was supported by a structure reminiscent of a layered hexagon shape. This increased the strength of the structure with only a minimal increase in weight, which lent greater stability to the design.

Industrial Revolution

The modern version of the honeycomb construction design practice began to take shape during the industrial revolution. In 1638, Galileo discussed how hollow solid materials could be sturdy with a lower amount of weight than would be a solid piece of material. The honeycomb structure was further supported in 1665, when Robert Hook discovered that the cellular structure of cork has similar properties to the hexagons found in the honeycombs built by bees. This process became further vindicated in 1859, when Darwin stated that the honeycomb was a highly efficient economization of effort and wax. In 1877, F.H. Kustermann invented a molding process to make honeycombs out of a mixture of glue and paper. This was followed in 1890, when Julius Steigel invented a molding process for the repeating hexagonal shape for sheet metals.

Early 20th Century Applications

In 1901, Hans Heilbrun invented an expansion production-based paper honeycomb production process. The structural usage and honeycomb construction design process really took off in 1914, when R. Hofler and S. Renyi received a patent for the use of honeycombs as a structural element. Where the idea really took off was in 1915, with Hugo Junkers receiving a patent to use honeycomb cores on airplanes. In 1938, Norman de Bruyne patented the adhesive necessary to bond honeycombs together in airplane radomes. Boeing later used fire-resistant honeycombs extensively in the 747.

Modern Usage

Since the 1980s, honeycomb construction design has become extensively used. With thermoplastic extruded honeycombs, tremendous strength at extremely low density is practical in large scale. The applications for honeycombs are all but limitless. Modern buildings sometimes employ aluminum wall cladding in a honeycomb pattern for aesthetics and strength. Honeycomb-based insulation is also used in some cases for a compact and sturdy method of building. Structures like the Honeycomb apartment complex in the Bahamas, Honey Bee Hive House in Israel and the Hivehaus modular home design from Britain use the honeycomb shape to its fullest. With advanced materials, the honeycomb construction design method has become even better than it used to be.