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Chapter 6

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12 views

Chapter 6

Uploaded by

അൻവർ അൻവർ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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6.

APPLICATIONS

The tensegrity structures consist of lots of applications which includes


6.1 Towers
The main contributor to the development of tensegrity towers has been the artist Kenneth
Snelson.Rostock tower, needle tower, Skylon tower are the main examples of tensegrity towers.
Kenneth Snelson’s Needle Tower shown in figure 6.1.1 is a 60-foot sculpture of steel wires on
display outside the Hirshhorn Museum, before her 30-plus year career as senior curator there.
Towering above her was a seemingly endless procession of six-point stars disappearing into the
sky. She suddenly understood what made the sculpture such a departure from anything seen
before in art.The structure was built in 1968, and has been on continuous display since the
museum’s namesake Joseph Hirshhorn donated it in 1974. It remains one of the most popular
works of art.

Figure 6.1.1 Needle Tower

The tensegrity towers also have some other uses such as


1.Lightning conductors:-It is not required to have these elements in a completely static situation
and they tolerate certain small movements,they could serve perfectly for this application.
2.Communications:-Tensegrity towers can be employed to support antennas, receptors,radio
transmitters, mobile telephone transmitters etc
3.Wind parks:-The lightness of these tensegrity towers could minimise the visual impact of these
energetic installations.
4.Aesthetic elements:-Tensegrity structures can enhance the visual landscape of an area.
6.2 Outer space structures
One of the most recurring applications since the beginning of tensegrity era found for the
floating-compression has been its speculated use in moon colonies.In 1961, Buckminster Fuller
revealed his new inventions: potential prototypes of satellite and moon structures conceived as
tensional integrity which are foldable, extremely light,omni-triangulated, pre-stressed etc.One of
the particular characteristics of tensegrity structures is that they do not depend on gravity,so they
are stable in any position.
Recently,a very well defined project has been carried out from another approach. In this case,
tensile integrity structures were not the starting point, but a resource to achieve another
objective: the establishment of a self-sustainable society in the moon. This project sought the
improvement of new structural concepts that experience completely different external loads (1/6
of Earth’s gravity, meteorite impacts, moonquakes, etc.), different risks (like pressure
containment, radiation, etc) and different environmental conditions (atmosphere, light, wind,
dehydration, etc).

6.3 Bridges
Advancements in the design of double grid systems has resulted in an expected interest in
application of tensegrity to bridge construction.A achievement in this regard is the Kurilpa
Bridge in Brisbane, Australia.It was the world's largest bridge on the concept of tensegrity, which
was opened on the 4 th of October 2009 shown in figure 6.3.1.

Figure 6.3.1 Kurilpa Bridge

6.4 Roof structures


An important example of Tensegrity being employed in roof structures is the stadia at La
Plata (Argentina), based on a prize winning concept developed by architect Roberto Ferreira. The
design adapts the patented Tenstar Tensegrity roof concept to the twin peak contour and the plan
configuration, and consequently, it is more similar to a cable-dome structure than to a
conventional roof structure. The first studies for the design of Tensegrity grids were carried out
by Snelson, but its applications were limited. For the past few years, the main focus has been in
the development of double-layer Tensegrity grids and foldable Tensegrity systems. This kind of
grid has its most feasible possibilities in the field of walls, roofs and covering structures.
Figure 6.4.1 U.S. Pavilion for Expo '67 by Fuller

Figure 6.4.2 Munich Olympic Stadium Estadio Ciudad de La Plata

6.5 Smart structures


Most Civil Engineering structures are static. A more challenging functionality for Civil
Engineering structures is active adaptation to changing requirements, such as load modifications,
temperature variations, support settlements and possible damage occurrence.
The concept of active structures involves structures that include both static and active
structural elements. Adaptive structures are defined as structures whose performance is
controlled by a system composed of sensors, actuators and a computer that provides the ability to
learn and improve response to changing environments.
Since Tensegrities can be equipped with active control systems, they have the potential to
adapt to their environments.
6.6 Tent like structures

Figure 6.6.1 Shade structure

Figure 6.6.1 shows an example of a so-called Tensegrity Shade Structures, created and presented
by Daniel Ng (2001-2004). The system has also been represented in base format in order to
show a clearer perspective without the tensile membrane that covers the inner space. It can be
noted that the system has no self-equilibrium stability since it needs to be anchored to the ground
in three points and the struts are not stable if they are not resting on the ground. Moreover, the
absence of prestress is definitive to deny the denomination of tensegrity to this shadow roof.
Another case produced in Edinburgh (fig.6.6.2) is marquee is perfectly tensed and conformed
without the action of the cables, which play a role in
giving more rigidity to the system. Besides, each module is attached to the ground by means of a
fixed basement, not necessary in true tensegrities.

Figure 6.6.2 Marquee in Edinburgh

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