张拉整体结构是一种由连续拉索和断续压杆构成的新型结构。有关正圆柱形张拉整体结构和球形张拉整体结构的研究已被广泛开展,但另一种基本的几何拓扑形态——环形张拉整体结构却很少受到关注。提出一种新型环形张拉整体结构,对其拓扑和找形问题进行研究,采用平衡矩阵法求解该结构的自应力模态和机构位移模态。通过在索穹顶结构中引入环形张拉整体圈梁,提出一种新型索穹顶,并对初始预应力分布和结构性能进行了分析。算例结果表明该新型索穹顶是一种刚度较好且完全自支承自平衡的张拉整体结构。此研究丰富了现有张拉整体结构形式及其应用。
Tensegrity structure is a new type of structure consisting of a continuous set of cables and a discrete set of struts. Cylindrical and spherical tensegrity modules are by far the two basic modules extensively studied, while another type of basic geometric module, tensegrity torus, has received little attention from scholars and engineers. This paper presents a new type of tensegrity torus. The topology and form-finding is first investigated. The self-stress modes and the inextensible displacement modes are obtained by using the equilibrium matrix method. Taking a tensegrity torus as its ring beam, a new tensegrity cable dome is proposed, and the initial prestress distribution and structural behavior are investigated. Numerical results show the proposed new cable dome is an exact "free standing and self equilibrium" tensegrity system with adequate stiffness.