Towards unusual mechanical properties of tensegrity lattice metamaterial

Abstract

In the present paper a novel cellular metamaterial based on a tensegrity pattern is presented. The material is constructed from supercells, each of which consists of eight 4-strut simplex modules. The proposed metamaterial exhibits some unusual properties. It is possible to control its mechanical characteristics by adjusting the level of self-stress or by changing the properties of structural members. A discrete model is introduced to identify the properties of the considered metamaterial and to estimate how the applied self-stress and the characteristics of cables and struts affect the whole structure. The performed analyses is an attempt to the future design of tensegrity lattices which can be recognised as a metamaterial for engineering applications.