Plate tensegrity structures controlled with self-stress

Abstract

The present paper focuses on the analysis of plate tensegrity structures based on the 3-strut simplex module. Two structural systems are considered: a single plate tensegrity module and a multi-module segment. It is proved that the implementation of plate elements in the basic tensegrity module not only opens new application perspectives, but also increases its stiffness. The analyses are performed with the use of the finite element method (FEM), using the second order theory and the geometrically nonlinear analysis.