On the shaping of cable-membranes by using “simulated annealing”

FENU, LUIGI;MANCA S.

2003-01-01

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Abstract

Identifying the suitable shape of cable-membrane structures is an important design problem in both structural engineering and architecture, where both shape and internal forces of the cable-membrane structure are unknown. Therefore, to approximate as much as possible the shape wished by an architect, besides an appropriate position of the restraints, appropriate values of the tensile forces in the cables are also necessary. For this purpose, “simulated annealing” appears to be a suitable design method for the formfinding of cable-membrane structures, being able to minimize the distance between the wished surface and the actual surface to obtain the final form through successive iterations, by also avoiding any local minimum.