Multiplex Rigid-Tensegrity

E-mail: jay(at)salsburg(dot)com

Higher frequency Fly's Eye design.


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This is an image of an accurate model of the Fly's Eye model carried to the next level of complexity. As you can see the pure rigid-tensegrity structure breaks down in this design. Also the spaces that are created at the imaginary edges of the icosahedron provide the opportunity for instability. This instability would creep into the structure if its size were adjusted in scale from the previous design originated by Amy Edmondson, however, adding a partial strut level can correct this deficit. This hybrid or multiplexed design offers the advantage of being developed to the 100 meter diameter size with the disadvantage of added asymmetry and complexity. This hybrid could be developed with some difficulty but would not have the awesome elegance of the original design yet, as stated earlier, would be six times the diameter (of the original 60 foot diameter Fly's Eye). Further expansion of this design concept is possible but with added complexity and asymmetry but much greater size. Each time another lesser-circle-plane is added to the structure the building diameter can be multiplied by approximatly six. This added-multiplexed-design seems to be the upper limit to practical building size for this type or class of structure. An added note, this design shows much less asymmetry than domes built with so-called 'Geodesic Math' methodology that this design does not employ. The image below is a geodesic based on Geodesic Math.

Jay Salsburg, Design Scientist


Made with formZ on the Macintosh