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Article
Publication date: 29 June 2023

Ziying Cao, Ani Luo, Yaming Feng and Heping Liu

This paper is contributed to find the minimal mass prismatic tensegrity structures.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper is contributed to find the minimal mass prismatic tensegrity structures.

Design/methodology/approach

In the stable state of the structure with any given external force, the internal forces of the structure members are taken as the critical force to calculate the cross-sectional area, and the total mass of the structure can be obtained. Firstly, the mathematical model of prismatic tensegrity was built. Secondly, the stability of the tensegrity was analyzed based on the force equilibrium of one node, the force density relationship of elements was obtained. The deformation of p-bar tensegrity prism unit was studied with the same mass. The force of the structure under external force was analyzed.

Findings

(1) The length of bar and the structural radius are almost invariant, and the mechanical properties of 3-bar tensegrity prism is more outstanding; (2) theoretically, the mass of the structure is minimal while the projection of bar passes the center of the circle. Under the circumstances, the force of diagonal cable is 0 N, the vertical force component of bar cancels the axial external force.

Originality/value

(1) By analyzing the deformation of p-bar tensegrity prism with the same mass, the length of bar and the structural radius are proved be almost invariant and the mechanical properties of 3-bar tensegrity prism is more outstanding; (2) theoretically, the mass of the structure is minimal while the projection of bar passes the center of the circle. Under the circumstances, the force of diagonal cable is 0 N, the vertical force component of bar cancels the axial external force.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 40 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2024

Heping Liu, Jinxin Lu, Fusheng Zhu and Ani Luo

This study proposes a tensegrity-based traction structure with D-bar dual cable units. It is used to connect the airship and the ground to stabilize the airship.

Abstract

Purpose

This study proposes a tensegrity-based traction structure with D-bar dual cable units. It is used to connect the airship and the ground to stabilize the airship.

Design/methodology/approach

The mathematical models and dynamic models of the D-bar dual cable (hereafter referred to as DD cable) unit of the tensegrity-based traction structure are established. Based on the minimum mass method, the mass of the DD cable unit in the critical state (cable member is yielding, or bar member is buckling or yielding) is analyzed. Then, the tensile strength of the DD cable unit and single cable unit under the same condition is compared using the control variate method. Finally, based on ANSYS dynamic simulation, the stability of the two structures under the same external force disturbance was tested.

Findings

Expressions for the minimum mass of the DD cable unit under different failure conditions are solved. Dynamic simulation results show that the capacity of resisting disturbance of the DD cable unit is much better than that of the single cable unit under the same wind speed. So, we find a structure more suitable for the fixed connection of an airship.

Originality/value

This study helps to provide theoretical reference and thinking for the practical application of the traction structure with a D-bar dual cable unit.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 November 2023

Heping Liu, Sanaullah, Angelo Vumiliya and Ani Luo

The aim of this article is to obtain a stable tensegrity structure by using the minimum knowledge of the structure.

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this article is to obtain a stable tensegrity structure by using the minimum knowledge of the structure.

Design/methodology/approach

Three methods have been formulated based on the eigen value decomposition (EVD) and singular value decomposition theorems. These two theorems are being implemented on the matrices, which are computed from the minimal data of the structure. The required minimum data for the structure is the dimension of the structure, the connectivity matrix of the structure and the initial force density matrix computed from the type of elements. The stability of the structure is analyzed based on the rank deficiency of the force density matrix and equilibrium matrix.

Findings

The main purpose of this article is to use the defined methods to find (1) the nodal coordinates of the structure, (2) the final force density values of the structure, (3) single self-stress from multiple self-stresses and (4) the stable structure.

Originality/value

By using the defined approaches, one can understand the difference of each method, which includes, (1) the selection of eigenvalues, (2) the selection of nodal coordinates from the first decomposition theorem, (3) the selection of mechanism mode and force density values further and (4) the solution of single feasible self-stress from multiple self-stresses.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 41 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2023

Ani Luo, Ziying Cao, Heping Liu and Yaming Feng

In this paper, the main factors influencing the structure stiffness will be analyzed by studying the tangent stiffness matrix based on different requirement in engineering…

Abstract

Purpose

In this paper, the main factors influencing the structure stiffness will be analyzed by studying the tangent stiffness matrix based on different requirement in engineering practice. The authors can obtain the deformation of three-bar tensegrity basic unit in different load, and gain the primary factor by comparing the deformation, which will provide reference to concrete structure design in the engineering.

Design/methodology/approach

The mathematical model of tensegrity structure was built by establishing generalized node coordinates and connective matrix. Three main factors that affect the structure deformation can be obtained by analyzing the stiffness matrix, which is preload, Young's modulus, and cross-sectional area, the thinking of deformation also be sorted out. The deformation analysis of the concrete structure is carried out, and it is concluded that increasing the cross-sectional area can quickly improve the stiffness of the structure, which provides a reference for the structural variable stiffness design in practical engineering.

Findings

(1) When the axial external force is applied to the structure, the torsion-angle deformation of the structure is the largest, and the radial deformation of the structure is the smallest. (2) The structure stiffness can be rapidly enhanced by increasing the cross-sectional area. But the cross-sectional area can't be increased indefinitely. Because the mass will be increased once increasing the cross-sectional area, which will destroy the structure of the advantages of light weight in engineering practice.

Originality/value

The deformation analysis of the concrete structure is carried out, and it is concluded that increasing the cross-sectional area can quickly improve the stiffness of the structure, which provides a reference for the structural variable stiffness design in practical engineering.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 40 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 June 2023

Maria Gravari-Barbas, Sandra Guinand, Yue Lu and Xinyu Li

Between 1840s and 1940s, 27 occidental concessions have been created in several cities in China which represented difficult signs and memories for Chinese. Nowadays, these…

Abstract

Purpose

Between 1840s and 1940s, 27 occidental concessions have been created in several cities in China which represented difficult signs and memories for Chinese. Nowadays, these territories are experiencing a joint phenomenon of heritagization and tourismification which makes them experimental theaters for modern urban life and identity. Taking the former concessions of Tianjin as place study, the purpose of this study is to analyze the role of the heritage and tourism in the former concessions in city branding and more specifically the actors, approaches and products of this phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

This research draws on the comparison and analysis of two place studies in China. The authors base their analysis on semi-structured interviews in Chinese with previously identified stakeholders. In all, 20 individuals, including developers, public authority representatives, business owners, academics and conservation association members, were interviewed. This research was completed, updated and triangulated by content analysis of Web-based materials; official documents such as urban plans, guidelines and urban and tourism strategies collected during the fieldwork, as well as non-intrusive spatial observations of the concession and its various developments.

Findings

The results of this study show that the heritage in the former concessions has become an attractive tool for the city branding through tourism development, often led by the public actors with the participation of private entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

This study looks at the hybrid dimensions of the former concessions in China. It provides a better understanding of the co-action of heritage and tourism in the processes of territorial rehabilitation, which contributes to both the practitioners and researchers in this domain.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 August 2023

Caroline Wolski, Kathryn Freeman Anderson and Simone Rambotti

Since the development of the COVID-19 vaccinations, questions surrounding race have been prominent in the literature on vaccine uptake. Early in the vaccine rollout, public health…

Abstract

Purpose

Since the development of the COVID-19 vaccinations, questions surrounding race have been prominent in the literature on vaccine uptake. Early in the vaccine rollout, public health officials were concerned with the relatively lower rates of uptake among certain racial/ethnic minority groups. We suggest that this may also be patterned by racial/ethnic residential segregation, which previous work has demonstrated to be an important factor for both health and access to health care.

Methodology/Approach

In this study, we examine county-level vaccination rates, racial/ethnic composition, and residential segregation across the U.S. We compile data from several sources, including the American Community Survey (ACS) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) measured at the county level.

Findings

We find that just looking at the associations between racial/ethnic composition and vaccination rates, both percent Black and percent White are significant and negative, meaning that higher percentages of these groups in a county are associated with lower vaccination rates, whereas the opposite is the case for percent Latino. When we factor in segregation, as measured by the index of dissimilarity, the patterns change somewhat. Dissimilarity itself was not significant in the models across all groups, but when interacted with race/ethnic composition, it moderates the association. For both percent Black and percent White, the interaction with the Black-White dissimilarity index is significant and negative, meaning that it deepens the negative association between composition and the vaccination rate.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis is only limited to county-level measures of racial/ethnic composition and vaccination rates, so we are unable to see at the individual-level who is getting vaccinated.

Originality/Value of Paper

We find that segregation moderates the association between racial/ethnic composition and vaccination rates, suggesting that local race relations in a county helps contextualize the compositional effects of race/ethnicity.

Details

Social Factors, Health Care Inequities and Vaccination
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-795-2

Keywords

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