[an error occurred while processing this directive]
This text describes a
mathematical model for both form-finding and static analysis of tensegrity structures.
A special line element that shows constant stress for any displacement of its nodes is
used to define a prestressed equilibrium configuration. The form-finding and static
analysis are formulated as an unconstrained nonlinear programming problem, where
the objective function is the total potential energy and the displacements
of the nodal points are the unknowns. Analytical solutions for tensegrity
prisms are presented and compared with the numerical results of the proposed
approach. A quasi-Newton method is used, which avoids the evaluation of
the tangent stiffness matrix. The source and executable computer codes
of the algorithm are available for download from the website of one of the
authors.