LAUSR

Abstract In this paper, novel beam-like mechanical metamaterials (BLMMs) with different flexural rigidities in two directions are proposed. The BLMMs are composed of the rigid parts and the flexible parts, showing totally different flexural rigidities in rigid and flexible directions. The BLMMs exhibit quite small flexural rigidities in the flexible direction and easy to be rolled up, large flexural rigidities in the rigid direction and hard to be deformed. The rigid part is composed of the hollow or solid structures connected by concave-convex structures (CCSs), and the flexible part is composed of a thin rod. Moreover, the rod in the flexible part can be made of a material with a larger Young’s modulus and narrower width to enhance/reduce the flexural rigidity in the rigid/flexible direction. Theoretical calculations, finite-element simulations and experiments are employed to investigate the properties of the proposed BLMMs. It is found that the depth of the vertex of the CCSs is the main factor affecting the flexural rigidities in the rigid direction. The proposed BLMMs with appropriate geometrical parameters have excellent mechanical properties, indicate great potential for application in fields of construction, collapsible equipment, and flexible structure.