Application of Bennett mechanisms to long-span shelters

Thesis

Rapidly assembled tent structures are temporary enclosures used to house people or goods. Their uses vary to include recreation, refugee housing, and military shelters. The structural concepts applied in these shelters are as variable as their uses. Some make use of a tensioned fabric and pole system to provide structural strength. Others have a load-bearing frame with attached fabric skin. Further variants make use of inflatable arches or consist of modular containers. Analysis of a number o...

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Authors: Melin, N; N. Melin

• Publication date: 2004
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-dxkm0yrbr
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: Oxford University, UK
• Language: English
• Keywords: deployable structures; imperfection analysis; overconstrained mechanism; mathematical programming; sequential quadratic programming; energy methods; rapidly assembled tents; structural optimisation; Bennett linkage; tiled Bennett mechanism
• Subjects: Engineering & allied sciences; Civil engineering; Structural dynamics