https://doi.org/10.4081/jae.2021.1189

Structural design and experimental tests on a model of tensegrity greenhouse prototype

Vol. 52 No. 3 (2021)
Published: 30 September 2021
Experimental-loading tests, lightweight steel structures, standard EN 13031, structural analysis, tensegrity.
Abstract Views: 1011
PDF: 546
HTML: 171
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Giacomo Scarascia-Mugnozza
giacomo.scarasciamugnozza@uniba.it
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9136-8956
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Silvana Fuina
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0168-6812
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Sergio Castellano
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6000-7613
Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Italy.

The aim of this paper is the analysis, proposal and application of a structural tensegrity configuration for greenhouses supporting structures suitable for lightweight covering, based on principles of design coherence, material savings and building durability. By means of the FEM software, Sofistik®, a tensegral greenhouse prototype was modelled and designed in accordance with EN 13031-1:2019. In order to calibrate the results of the FEM analysis, experimental load tests and displacement measurements made with a tensegrity reduced scale model on a tensegrity reduced scale model, created at the Department laboratory of the University of Bari, were compared with the results of the calculation analysis. The displacements of the prototype selected nodes were detected by Target tracking Technology in two load configurations and a control transducer was positioned on the central structural node. The comparison among the displacements of the detected nodes with those resulting from the FEM software calculations, for two different load configurations, show average percentage errors of 7.1% and 12.55%. The results of the T test for the different load configuration point out that the two series of values experimentally detected and calculated by the software are not significantly different. Finally, results in terms of the structural steel weight and maximum stress of the tensegral structure were compared with those of commercial structures, both with vaulted roof and duopitched roof, of single span greenhouses having the same covered ground area of the greenhouse prototype. The proposed tensegrity greenhouse prototype showed a 9.6% and 35.2% reduction of the structural steel weight compared to the vaulted roof and to the duo-pitched roof greenhouse respectively.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC
Ali N.B.H., Smith I.F.C. 2010. Dynamic behavior and vibration control of a tensegrity structure. Int. J. Solids Struct. 47:1285-96. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2010.01.012
Bansod D. Y., Nandanwar D., Burša, J. 2014. Overview of tensegrity - I : Basic structures. Engine. Mechan. 21:355-67.
Briassoulis D., Dougka G., Dimakogianni D., Vayas, I. 2016. Analysis of the collapse of a greenhouse with vaulted roof. Biosyst. Engine. 151:495-509. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2016.10.018
Castellano S., Candura A., Scarascia-Mugnozza, G. 2004. Greenhouse structures SLS analysis: Experimental results and normative aspects. Acta Hortic. 691:701-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.691.86
d’Estree Sterk T. 2003. Using actuated tensegrity structures to produce a responsive architecture. pp 84-93 in ACADIA22: Connecting Crossroads of Digital Discourse.
De Salvador F.R., Scarascia Mugnozza G., Vox G., Schettini E., Mastrorilli M., Bou Jaoudé M. 2008. Innovative photoselective and photoluminescent plastic films for protected cultivation. Acta Hortic. 801:115-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.801.7
Dougka G., Briassoulis D. 2020. Load carrying capacity of greenhouse covering films under wind action: Optimising the supporting systems of greenhouse films. Biosyst. Engine. 192:199-214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2020.01.020
European Committee for Standardization 2019. EN 13031-1. Greenhouses: design and construction. Part 1: Greenhouses for commercial production. CEN, Brussels.
Franco J. M., Mayag B. M. Marulanda, J., Thomson, P. 2017. Static and dynamic displacement measurements of structural elements using low cost RGB-D cameras. Engine. Struct. 153:97-105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.10.018
Fuina S., Scarascia-Mugnozza G., Castellano S. 2020. Innovative tensile structures for protected crop facilities. Lecture Notes Civil Engine. 67:247-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39299-4_28
Giacomelli G.A., Sase S., Cramer R., Hoogeboom J., MacKenzie A., Parbst K., Scarascia-Mugnozza G., Selina P., Sharp D.A., Voogt J.O., van Weel P.A., Mears D. 2012. Greenhouse production systems for people. Acta Hortic. 927:23-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.927.1
Kan Z., Peng H., Chen B., Zhong, W. 2018. A sliding cable element of multibody dynamics with application to nonlinear dynamic deployment analysis of clustered tensegrity. Int. J. Solids Struct. 130-131:61-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2017.10.012
Kong B. W., Quiao K., Yuan J. 2014. The investigation of long-span double-layer reticulated dome greenhouse’s dynamic characteristics. pp 338-343 in International Conference on Mechanics and Materials Engineering.
Masic M. 2004. Design, optimization, and control of tensegrity structures. Doctoral dissertation, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti. 2018. D.M. 17 gennaio 2018: Aggiornamento delle Norme tecniche per le costruzioni. Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana. Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, Roma, 52-60.
Motro R. 2003. Tensegrity: structural systems for the future. Kogan Page Science, London, UK. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-190399637-9/50038-X
Ngeljaratan L., & Moustafa M. A. 2020. Structural health monitoring and seismic response assessment of bridge structures using target-tracking digital image correlation. Engine. Struct. 213:110551. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.110551
Nenadović A. 2010. Development, characteristics and comparative structural analysis of tensegrity type cable domes. Spatium 22:57-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2298/SPAT1022057N
Scarascia-Mugnozza G., De Luca, V. 1990. La realizzazione di serre di grandi dimensioni con tipologie a tensostruttura. Riv. Ing. Agr. 21:106-16.
Scarascia-Mugnozza G. 2003. Strutture e tipologie nuove negli impianti serricoli. Colture Protette. 32:89-104.
Stefani L., Zanon M., Modesti M., Ugel E., Vox G., Schettini E. 2007, October. Reduction of the environmental impact of plastic films for greenhouse covering by using fluoropolymeric materials. In International Symposium on High Technology for Greenhouse System Management, Greensys2007, 801:131-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.801.9
Sultan C. 2014. Tensegrity deployment using infinitesimal mechanisms. Int. J. Solids Struct. 51:3653-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2014.06.025
Tibert A. G., Pellegrino S. 2003. Review of form-finding methods for tensegrity structures. Int. J. Space Struct. 18:209-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1260/026635103322987940
Veuve N., Dalil Safaei S., Smith, I. F. C. 2016. Active control for mid-span connection of a deployable tensegrity footbridge. Engine. Struct. 112:245-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2016.01.011
Vox G., Scarascia-Mugnozza G., Schettini E., de Palma L., Tarricone L., Gentilesco G., Vitali M. 2012. Radiometric properties of plastic films for vineyard covering and their influence on vine physiology and production. Acta Hortic. 956:465-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.956.54
Waaijenberg D. 2004. Design, construction and maintenance of greenhouse structures. Acta Hortic. 710:31-42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2006.710.1

How to Cite

Scarascia-Mugnozza, G., Fuina, S. and Castellano, S. (2021) “Structural design and experimental tests on a model of tensegrity greenhouse prototype”, Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 52(3). doi: 10.4081/jae.2021.1189.
Copyright (c) 2021 the Author(s) Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.