Internal Force Density Method

Andrs Gonzlez Fallas

College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Using the geometry of the structure and the external forces as the input data, here is explained how to
obtain an algorithm to calculate the internal force density of the members of a tensegrity structure.
Algebraic steps are omitted since it is not the purpose of this document to analyze them.

During the design process of any structure, the forces, internal and external,
acting over the body are one of the main concerns. Due to the special configuration
of elements in the tensegrity structures, the internal forces can be expressed as a
relationship between the length of the members and a value called internal force
density. Since the type of force in the bars and the strings are different, they
will have different force densities.
The first step to obtain the force densities is to model its geometry. A tensegrity
structure is composed by q compressive elements (bars) and m tensile elements (strings).
The place where any two or more of these elements are in contact is called a node and
can be defined by a coordinate.
As Skelton [1] defines, minimal tensegrity prisms are structures composed of any
number of bars q 2, where the top and bottom planes are defined by regular p-side
polygons. These polygons are connected by strings and bars, characteristic of tensegrity
structures.
With the assumption that both polygons have the same circumradius, the structure can
then be modelled as a cylinder and the nodes obtained using cylindrical coordinates.
= (, , )
where r is the design radius of the structure, h is the design height of the
structure and is the characteristic angle of regular polygons, given by the relation
= 2 . However, there is a rotation angle between the top and bottom, defined by the
angle = 2 ; this way, the angle for the top nodes is given by + .
Programming a loop in Matlab and using the function pol2cart to convert the
results to Cartesian coordinates, the p nodes of the base and the p nodes of the top can
be obtained; the coordinates of these n nodes are arranged in a N matrix
3 = [1

]3

This matrix can be then arranged as a vector n, where all the entries are the (x, y,
z) coordinates of each node

31

1
2
=[ ]
31

The next step is to define the connectivity matrix. This is an arrangement composed
of {0, 1, -1}, and represents the relationship between the structure members and the
nodes matrix. In this way, the node where the member begins has a value of -1 and where
it ends has a value of 1; the rest of the nodes have a value of 0.

This matrix can be divided in two parts, a bars connectivity matrix and a strings
connectivity matrix,

= [ ]
+
a fact that can simplify the computations.
For any q number of bars, the matrix CB is given by
= [

The matrix CS cannot be obtained as directly as C B, requiring additional calculations.

However, the matrix presents some patterns that let create an algorithm to obtain the C S
for any q number of bars. First, it is noticed that the matrix can be divided into 4
different matrices, of which one is the cero matrix [0] and other is the identity
matrix [ ].
The third matrix can be modelled as the identity matrix I, plus a diagonal of 1s
beginning in (1,2) and a 1 in the position (q,1). It has the following shape
1
0
1 = [
0
1

1 0 0
0
]
1
0 0 1

The fourth matrix is also composed of a diagonal of 1s, beginning in (2,1) and a 1
in the position (1,q). It presents the following form
0
1
2 = [
0
0

0 1
0 0
]

0 1 0

The previous matrices are then arranged to obtain the C S matrix

1
0
= [

0
1 ]
2

Two more matrices can be calculated using the previous results; the first of them is
the strings matrix S. This is a matrix whose columns are the direction vectors of the
strings of the structure. It is determined by the relation
=
The second matrix also contains direction vectors, but for the bar members. The bars
matrix B is given by the relation
=
Once the geometry of the structure is characterized, the external forces exerted
over the structure are also determined and its components arranged on a matrix W, which
is composed by the components of the external forces applied over the nodes.

3 = [1

]3

These components are also arranged as an external force vector w.

1
31 = [ ]
31
The previous results are used then to solve the equilibrium equation given by Luo
and Skelton [2] and Skelton [1].
=
where = . and represent the strings and bars internal force
density matrices, respectively. If force and nodes vectors are used, and after algebraic
steps, Luo and Skelton present the system as

1
1
2

2
[ ]
=

31
[

[ ]
(+)1

3(+)

To simplify the computations, the left part of the matrix is named and the right

part is named .
and are the diagonal square matrices whose entries are the i
columns of the and respectively. If = [ ], the force equilibrium function
can now be written as the lineal system

31 = [ ]

However, it is necessary to solve the system for the internal force densities and
. In order to solve it, the Singular Value Decomposition SVD method is used to obtain
the pseudoinverse of the system. This method allows obtaining the inverse of singular or
non-square matrices. If the A matrix is input in the Matlab function svd, is it
decomposed in a coefficient matrix

3(+) = 33 3(+) (+)(+)

where U, and V are matrices given by the software. Knowing that r is the rank of
+
the matrix A, the pseudoinverse A can be calculated after some transformations
+(+)(3) = [1(+)

1
2(+)((+)) ] [1
0

1(3)
0
][
]
0 2(3)3

After these steps, the pseudoinverse can be computed in Matlab

+(+)(3) = 1 11 1
The next step is to analyze the existence of solution, according to the condition

(+ 33 ) 1 3
Luo and Skelton [2] require the right side of the equation to be cero in order for
the equation to have solution(s); however, since there are rounding errors due to the
software calculations, there is an arbitrary admissible margin.
Finally, the system can be solved and has the form

[ ] = 1 11 1 + 2

from where =2 , z is a 1 x (m+q) arbitrary vector.

Although the previous formula gives the values of the internal force densities, and
with these values the internal forces for every member can be calculated, it is an
additional task for the designer to analyze these values to ensure that they satisfy the
tensegrity structure system. These values are the basis to decide the stability of the
structure, and to predict the behavior of the whole structure due to the forces, but
also to design the minimal mass tensegrity structure.

References

[1] R. Skelton and M. C. de Oliveira, Tensegrity Systems, Springer, 2009.

[2] A. Luo and R. E. Skelton, "Connectivity Matrices, Internal Force Density, Mass of Tensegrity
Structure System," 2013.