Right Helix / Left Helix;
Connecting Modules Together |
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A right-handed
tensegrity module can be transformed into a left-handed one but it must
be completely reconstructed, exchanging all parts in relation to one another
starting with the twist relationship of the compression struts. Except
for the left-to-right exchange the basic forms are identical, but mirror
images of one another. What are the consequences of this reversiblity?
It is that in the mirrored replica, the directional sense of all prestressed
pull-and-push forces are also reversed. The tension forces that pull counter-clockwise
in a left-handed form pull clockwise in a right-handed form and vice versa.
So, in simple column structures, for example, there are advantages to
alternating helical directions from module to module because the inherent
flexibility of tensegrity structures is in itself helical and the entire
tower structure flexes slightly when compressed top-to-bottom. By alternating
the modules one-to-the-next the tendency for the entire structure to twist
is nulled. On the other hand, if cumulative twist is the goal, then all
modules should be of one helical direction. |
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