Orb Web
World’s Most Efficient Truss with Pinned Joints
The
Web of Araneus combines fine art, history, geography, economics, genetics, biology, chemistry, physics, geometry, trigonometry, algebra, computer programming, statics, dynamics, kinematics, architecture, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, civil engineering, materials science, poetry … well, you get the idea.
"Since the number of silk fibres (each fibre is 3 µm in diameter) that constitute each radius, frame and guy is 2, 10 and 20 respectively, this approximately equilibrates stresses throughout the framework.”
S.A. Wainwright, W.D. Biggs, J.D. Currey, J.M.Gosline, Mechanical Design in Organisms, p. 353-354
A simple VBA program illustrates the flexibility of the orb web design. Note that designs with members in compression are not practical. Enjoy
The Deacon's Masterpiece by Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Web_of_Araneus.avi
Definitions
Internal Loads
