FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF A THREE-STAGE 3D PRINTED TENSEGRITY ICOSAHEDRON STRUCTURE

Abstract

Tensegrity is a crucial factor in the progress of humanity in various domains, including architecture and biology. This work is centered on the tensegrity structure of an icosahedron configuration, which is also referred to as a diamond tensegrity. This structure consists of six bars in each stage, with four strings linked to each end of the bar, forming a diamond shape. A three-stage tensegrity-icosahedron (T-Icosahedron) structure, composed of 3D printed components, was studied. The entire structure contains a total of 72 strings and 18 bars manufactured from Ninja Flex and Polylactic acid material. A novel vibration-based method was developed to measure tensions in the strings in the structure. A Polytec laser vibrometer was utilized to accurately measure the tensions and calibrate the nodal coordinates of the structure. The study subsequently focuses on a finite element analysis technique to examine the natural frequencies of the structure and generate its mode shapes using MATLAB. The obtained results are then compared with those obtained from the commercial finite element program ANSYS. This work provides a thorough examination of the T-Icosahedron structure, as well as potential opportunities for additional investigation involving alterations in geometry and material composition of the structure.