View source for Mesh Bag as Tension Network

Read here about tensegrity and structures that consist of bags containing bars. This is a special case of a [[membrane]] tensegrity structure. 

[[de Jong, Gerald|Gerald de Jong]] visited [[Snelson, Kenneth|Kenneth Snelson]] on 28 December 2009. He wrote that Kenneth Snelson "plopped" on the table a "floppy little mesh holding a bunch of tubes."

In such structures, the bag supplies the tension that holds the compression struts in place. Unlike conventional tensegrity structures, the tension element is not fashioned securely to the strut. 

=Form=

The mesh bag in de jong's photo has six struts.


[[file:synergetics:snelson-membrane.jpg|thumb|500px|none|"6 bars in a mesh bag, photo by de Jong."]]

This image, published on the web, shows seven struts in a similar net bag.


[[file:bag of bars.jpg|thumb|500px|none|"7 bars in a mesh bag"]]


=Links and References=

Membrane structures, see [[membrane]].
De Jong's blog of the event: [http://www.darwinathome.org/blog/2009/12/29/Visit-to-Kenneth-Snelsons-Ma Gerald de Jong blog entry on visiting Kenneth Snelson]

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