Tensegrity structures are pre-stressed systems of cables and bars in which no bar is connected to the other and the structure has no continuous rigid skeleton. This general introduction presents an original general method for the design of tensegrity structures, the first configurations of which were found by trial and error. The book begins with two-dimensional tensegrity structures, particularly tensegrity nets, tensegrity chains, tensegrity rings and tensegrity arches. These are then developed to original configurations of spatial tensegrity structures such as tensegrity slabs, primitive spatial tensegrity arches, and primitive tensegrity domes, as well as more elaborate spatial tensegrity structures such as tensegrity cylindrical shells, slim tensegrity domes, tensegrity vaults, and tensegrity caps. Tensegrity structures are pre-stressed systems of cables and bars in which no bar is connected to the other and the structure has no continuous rigid skeleton. This general introduction presents an original general method for the design of tensegrity structures, the first configurations of which were found by trial and error.The book begins with two-dimensional tensegrity structures, particularly tensegrity nets, tensegrity chains, tensegrity rings and tensegrity arches. These are then developed to original configurations of spatial tensegrity structures such as tensegrity slabs, primitive spatial tensegrity arches, and primitive tensegrity domes, as well as more elaborate spatial tensegrity structures such as tensegrity cylindrical shells, slim tensegrity domes, tensegrity vaults, and tensegrity caps. Presents a robust new approach to the design of tensegrity structures Extends tensegrity structures to new three-dimensional configurations Tensegrity Structures Design Methods suits structural, civil, and mechanical engineers and architects, as well as graduate students.Oren Vilnay is Professor Emeritus and was founder and head of the Department of Structural Engineering at Ben Gurion University Israel. He is also former head of the Structural Engineering Section at Technion—IsraelInstitute of Technology. Leon Chernin is Lecturer at the University of Dundee. He was granted a PhD in Structural Engineering from the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology. His research activities encompass both physical testing and numerical modelling. Contents Preface Introduction Tensegrity: literature survey Part 1: Two-dimensional plane tensegrity structures 1 Kite structures 2 Tensegrity nets 3 Tensegrity chains 4 Tensegrity plane arches 5 Tensegrity rings Part 2: Three-dimensional spatial tensegrity structures 6 Tensegrity slabs 7 Spatial tensegrity rings 8 Tensegrity vaults 9 Tensegrity cylindrical shells 10 Spatial tensegrity arches 11 Configuration of primitive tensegrity structures 12 Slim tensegrity domes 13 Tensegrity caps 14 Tensegrity domes Part 3: Stable tensegrity structures: Tensstable structures 15 Two-dimensional tensstable arches 16 Three-dimensional tensstable structures References Index
