LAUSR

In the paper analytical and numerical investigations on stable prestressed configurations of prismatic tensegrities with a non-minimal number of members are studied. Up to date, non-minimal prisms were rarely analyzed. Analytical equations are written based on the elastic energy approach and are further solved numerically. The prestressing procedure has a physical meaning due to changing the lengths of selected groups of members and is explained by a simple mathematical model. Also, an example of the physical model is presented. The results show that additional cables commonly used in non-minimal prismatic tensegrities can be replaced by bars, as well as that the total number of bars in non-minimal prismatic tensegrities can be doubled, in regard to minimal prismatic systems.