Extreme Mechanical Properties of Regular Tensegrity Unit Cells in 3D Lattice Metamaterials

Abstract

The study focuses on the identification of extreme mechanical properties of 3D lattice metamaterials based on regular tensegrity modules: 4-strut simplex, 3-strut simplex, expanded octahedron, truncated tetrahedron and X-module. The basis of the analysis is a continuum model which is used to find the equivalent elasticity matrices of the unit cells. For each examined tensegrity module a line of extreme properties is determined, which indicates the occurrence of the soft mode of deformation. Moreover, the eigenvectors corresponding to soft and stiff deformation modes are calculated and presented graphically. The obtained results are promising from the point of view of future creation of tensegrity lattices and metamaterials with extreme mechanical properties. One of the analysed materials is identified as quasi bimode, two as quasi trimodes, another one as a trimode and one more as a unimode.