TENSEGRITY

Definition
 A structural principle based on the use of isolated
components in compression inside a net of
continuous tension
 The compressed members (usually bars or struts) do not
touch each other and the prestressed tensioned members
(usually cables or tendons) delineate the system spatially
 The struts resist the compressive forces
 A tensegrity system is established when a set of
discontinuous compressive components interacts with a
set of continuous tensile components to define a stable
volume in space
 Coined by Buckminster Fuller in the 1960s as
a portmanteau of "tensional integrity“
 The other denomination of tensegrity, floating
compression, was used mainly by Kenneth Snelson
CONCEPT OF TENSEGRITY STRUCTURES

 Loading members only in pure compression or pure tension - fails if

the cables yield or the rods buckle
 Preload or tensional prestress, which allows cables to be rigid in
tension
 Mechanical stability, which allows the members to remain in
tension/compression as stress on the structure increases
 Tensegrity Structures -Motivation from
Biology
 hard β- pleated sheets are discontinuous
 the tension members (amino acid
matrix) form a continuous network
Properties

 Lightweight , high resistance

 Don’t depend on gravity due to their self stability - don’t need to be
anchored or leaned on any surface
 The degree of tension of the prestressed components is proportional
to the amount of space they occupy
 Ability to respond as a whole, so local stresses are transmitted
uniformly and absorbed throughout the structure
 No structural member experiences a bending moment
Advantages

 Transfers loads very rapidly, so the loads cannot become local

 Good absorbers of shock and seismic vibrations – can be used in earthquake
zone areas
 For large tensegrity constructions, the process would be relatively easy to
carry out, since the structure is self scaffolding
 They don’t suffer any kind of torque or torsion, and buckling is very rare due
to the short length of the components in compression
 Due to their ability to respond as a whole, it is possible to use materials in a
very effective way, offering a maximum amount of strength for a given
amount of building material
Disadvantages

 Bar congestion - as some designs become larger - the struts starts

running into each other
 The fabrication facility is also a barrier for developing the floating
compression structures. Spherical and domical structures are
complex, which can lead to problems in production
 Lack of design and analysis techniques for these structures
 In order to support critical load, the pre stress forces should be high
enough which could be difficult in larger size construction
 The Skylon

  In
1951 at the Festival of Britain’s South Bank
Exhibition
 The long tower is held in place at one end by
only three cables
 At the bottom end, exactly three cables are
needed to fully determine the position of the
bottom end of the tower
 A simple three-rod tensegrity structure is build
on these cables
  As long as the angle between any two cables is
smaller than 180° - the position of the rod is well
defined
STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS
OF TENSEGRITY
 Proposals for Towers
 Tensegrity towers can have the following
applications
• Lightning conductors
•  Communications
• Wind park
•  Aesthetic elements
 THE ESTADIO CIUDAD DE LA PLATA

 Located at  La Plata, Argentina

 A twin-peaked roof, and is the first polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) covered stadium in
South America
 Prestressed tensegrity design resists global distortion using tension
 Steel tube compression ring consisting of 45 octahedron/tetrahedron modules
Munich Stadium

 Located in Munich, Germany

 Canopy of acrylic glass stabilized by steel cables 
 The masts support the main cables maintained in tension 
  The masts are responsible structural elements transmit loads to the strong hand
 The junction between the various cables that make up the structural mesh is materialized
by a knot of steel casting with a system using bolted anchors and tensioned. 
 The Kurilpa Bridge 

 Opened in 4th October 2009

 Located across Brisbane River in Queensland,
Australia
 Span - 470m long with a main span of 120m 
 Budget - 63 million dollar
 Features two large viewing and relaxation
platforms, two rest areas, and a continuous all-
weather canopy
 Used 550 tons of structural steel
Construction

 One of the unique aspect of Kurilpa Bridge is that the ability to support itself at
each stage of construction, without depending on temporary props and
scaffoldings
 Structurally this span composition is approximately balanced thus eliminating the
need for massive abutments and allowing the tensegrity structures to be
constructed through a balanced cantilever technique
 Tie downs are provided at outer ends of the side spans to counter the weight
supported over the large river span