Adaptive structure

Under adaptive structures are systems that can respond to external influences and which are thus adaptable.

Adaptable systems are a matter of course in nature, such as the change in color of a chameleon or the growth processes of bones or trees, which also occur as a result of mechanical loads. The possibility of adaptation can also offer advantages when used in technical systems.

Current developments in the field of materials science enable the development of adaptive materials, the so-called smart materials . These are able to vary their physical or chemical properties and thus achieve adaptability when integrated into load-bearing structures such as high-rise buildings or bridges .

The ability to adapt offers particular advantages in the case of particularly wide-span bridges or very tall high- rise buildings that are exposed to extreme loads such as cyclones or earthquakes , as the structures can react to these events. In this way, performance and safety can be increased without increasing material consumption.

See also

• Adaptronics
• Lightweight construction

literature

• Patrick Teuffel: Designing adaptive structures , dissertation, University of Stuttgart 2004