GENERAL METHODS FOR CREATING
TENSEGRITY TOWERS, ARCHES, BRIDGES AND
ROOFS
YIYI ZHOU
(Master of Engineering)
2007
RMIT
GENERAL METHODS FOR CREATING TENSEGRITY
TOWERS, ARCHES, BRIDGES AND ROOFS
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Engineering
YIYI ZHOU
B.Eng.
School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering
RMIT University
July 2007
Declaration
I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is
that the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole
or in part, to quality for any other academic award; the content of the thesis
is the result of work which has been carried out since the official
commencement date of the approved research program; and, any editorial
work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged.
______________
______________
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Mike Xie, who has given
me abundant support to my research work over the past two years. He is always
encouraging, patient and responsive. His advice has given me a lot of inspirations in my
research works. I am really impressed by and benefited from his guidance in structural
optimisation, computer programming and technical writing, which has enabled me to
finish my project successfully. I also wish to express my gratitude to my second
supervisor, Dr Xiaodong Huang, for his cordial help in my thesis writing and computer
programming.
I would also like to thank other members of the Innovative Structure Group. We have
shared our ideas and experiences every week and I have received many good suggestions,
especially during the investigation of the observation tower proposal for the Eureka
building. I wish to thank Dr. Yew Chin Koay and Mr. Jiwu Tang for providing valuable
suggestions and assistance in constructing the physical models. I also wish to thank Mr
Dominik Holzer for rendering the computer images of the Eureka building with the
curved reticulated tower for me.
It is in the excellent School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT
University that my postgraduate research has been carried out. The School has provided
me with high quality research resources and facilities and a positive study environment. I
will never forget the research experience in RMIT University.
Finally I would like to acknowledge my family in China: my parents and my
grandmother. They have given me emotional and financial support during these years.
Especially I wish to thank my mother for her understanding, encouragement and constant
love. She is always the most important person in my life.
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT 1
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 2
1.1 Background 2
1.2 Objectives 3
1.3 Layouts 3
Chapter 2 LITERATURE RIVIEW 5
2.1 History and definition 5
2.2 Characteristics of tensegrity structures 7
2.2.1 Self equilibrium and self stress 8
2.2.2 Compression inside tension 8
2.3 Examples 9
2.3.1 Snelson’s triangle tensegrity structure 10
2.3.2 Tensegrity cable domes 10
2.3.3 Weaving tower structure 11
2.4 Conclusions 13
Chapter 3 CREATING TENSEGRITY TOWER, ARCH AND BRIDGE
14
3.1 Introduction 14
3.2 Tensegrity tower 14
