Computer method for the generation of the geometry of tensegrity structures

Date

2004

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

Tensegrity is a technology that can be applied to structures and its use can influence the construction time efficiency and construction project management in general. However, a significant drawback for a systematic application of tensegrity structures in the building construction industry is the particularly complex geometry that engineers and architects have to generate, in a two or three dimensional virtual or physical environment. The objective of this dissertation was the development of a computer based utility that will facilitate the design professional to devise and construct a specific morphological variation of tensegrity structure systems. The development of this utility was based on a methodology that identified and included parameters that can be associated to the schematic design and design development phases of a design project. The main contribution of the developed computer program is the efficiency with which virtual models of a tensegrity structure can be generated, facilitating the designer in decision making during the design process. Emphasis was given on the development of an interactive graphical simulation/visualization environment for the computer program. This feature assists in the generation and modification of the numerical input, with parameters defined by the user, and allows unobtrusive regenerations of alternate solutions within the computer virtual environment.

Description

text

Keywords

Citation