2000 · 37 citations · 3 references
EngineeringCivil EngineeringMechanical EngineeringForm-findingStructural AnalysisStructural EngineeringLightweight Structural DesignSolid Mechanics ApplicationsStructural DesignStructural MechanicsStructural Performance AnalysisStructural SystemsCable NetsComputational Form FindingConstruction TechniquesDeflection CalculationLightweight StructuresMinimal Surfaces
This paper describes the historical development of Force Density Method techniques for analytical form-finding, statical analysis and the determination of workshop drawings of lightweight structures from 1970 to the present day. Particular attention is directed to the key developments made at The University of Stuttgart's Institute for the Application of Geodesy in Civil Engineering (IAGB); at the Technical University of Berlin's Institute of Geodesy and Geomatics; and within the specialised software company technet GmbH. Attention is concentrated on the calculation of mechanically prestressed cable nets and membranes, minimal surfaces and pneumatically prestressed constructions.
3