Adaptive arch : active stress minimization in a thin arch structure

The concept of adaptive structures is based on the approach that the structural behaviour of a design is not established only once during the initial design phase, but rather that the structural response is controlled continuously during its lifespan via the integration of active components.
The adaptive control of structures focuses on the manipulation of the internal stresses, the displacements as well as the control of vibrations. This can optimise the structural behaviour in varying extreme loading situations resulting in substantial material savings in comparison with passive structures.
The subject of this paper is the active manipulation of the load-carrying behaviour of a flexible arch structure. The goal of this manipulation is the homogenization of the stress fields and the minimization of the maximum stresses governing the design. Within the context of this work, the active rotation of the supports is investigated as control mechanism.
The optimal activation processes are determined using numerical optimization procedures. Due to large displacements of the structure, geometrically nonlinear effects are included during the determination of the optimal support rotations.
An experimental lab-structure is built and the practical application of the control system is realized. Several software programs and hardware are coupled to form the control loop. The practical control system is able to actively control the structure for (quasi) static loads. Also a basis for a dynamic control system is formed.