Analysis and behavior of grid structures

Lattices of rigidly connected ribs, known as grid structures, have many advantages over traditional construction methods, which use panels, sandwich cores and/or expensive frameworks. The introduction of grid structures into industry has been hampered by a lack of understanding of their behavior, especially their behavior in failure space. In order to predict grin structure behavior, a model of grid structure deformation and failure was developed and implemented in a computer cone. With this code, parametric studies were run on a variety of grid structure types and geometries. Studies were performed to determine grid structure strengths, grid structure weaknesses, the effects of empty, soft, hard and rigid inclusions, the effects of missing ribs, the effects of nodal offset, the impact of soft and hard repairs to the grid structure lattice, and the impact of joining grid structures together. Published by Elsevier Science Limited