Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Structures journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/structures Numerical analysis of a hybrid cable bending-active plate structure Marios C. Phocas ⁎ , Kristis Alexandrou, Ioanna Anastasiadou Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, University of Cyprus, 75 Kallipoleos Str., P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Hybrid structures Cable bending-active structures Form-finding Load-deformation behavior Finite-element analysis ABSTRACT Research on bending-active systems integrates geometry, design and engineering, as a way to successfully utilize large elastic deformations and achieve form variation and unique system configurations. The deformation process in bending-active members requires thin materials which, however, often fail to provide adequate load- bearing capacity to the structure. The present paper proposes the hybridization of elastic members, with sec- ondary structural components, in order to induce structural efficiency and increased load-deformation capacity. A hybrid system consisting of two elastic strips is interconnected at constant distances along the span direction through strut elements and cables. The configuration series developed refers to the number of segments of the interconnected strips and the resulting spans. The numerical investigation is conducted through a progressive nonlinear form-finding and load-deformation Finite-Element Analysis (FEA). The analysis follows a three-stage development; namely, the elastic members deployment, the vertical erection of the system and its external loading. The analysis of the proposed hybrid system gives an insight to its performance through utilization of bending deformations and tensioning of the members. 1. Introduction Current advances in the fields of engineering, computing and ma- terial science have initiated innovative design approaches of material and structure driven forms. In particular, adaptation processes, ori- ginally inspired by natural systems, have been implemented in struc- tural systems in order to improve their functionality, while minimizing their economic and environmental cost [1]. Adaptive structures consist of load-bearing systems, which are able to optimize their configuration in real time by responding to external stimuli [2]. In the passive adaptation state, the system is stressed only by the external loads, while shape adaptation is the result of static reconfiguration strategies, pri- marily aiming at reducing the applied loads. In the active adaptation state, adaptive behavior is provided through control of the system ki- nematics, thus inducing respective structural reconfigurations [3]. In both cases, materials and systems with performative and actuation capabilities on one side, and stability in various configuration states on the other side, are required in order to achieve adaptation [4]. The transformational capacity of bending-active structures enables them to respond to different conditions, different locations, varying functional requirements and emergency situations. Bending-active structures can be easily assembled and disassembled, transported and reused in different functional configurations, resulting in lower con- struction costs. Current industrial manufacturing processes, along with advantages in transportation, encourage further use of active-bending. These characteristics make them suitable for temporary, mobile appli- cations. In addition, the low self-weight of bending-active structures leads to environmental advantages in terms of low material consump- tion and structural footprint. Bending-active structures can be distinguished in three types, based on the geometrical dimensions of their constituent elements and their integration with other components [5]; elastic gridshells, bending plate structures and textile hybrids. The members in elastic gridshells are elastically deformed using the bending flexibility of the material. Re- presentative examples are the Mannheim Multihalle, built in the early 1970s by Frei Otto, the Weald and Downland, and Savill Garden grid- shells, in which the overall grid was formed by wooden profiles [6–9]. Furthermore, recent temporary gridshells, such as the Creteil Church and Faraday Pavilion, were constructed with glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP) [10,11]. Bending-active plate structures feature curved surfaces through elastic deformation of the planar members along the weak axis [12]. A recent example is the ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010, whose final doubled curved shape was achieved through the reverse assembly of elastically bent and tensioned regions of the wooden strips, as well as the Berkeley Weave Installation and Bend9 Pavilion, which allows the bending of each hollow profile component into the specific shape of the doubled curved surface [13–15]. Further shape generation is possible through integration of bending-active https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2019.08.008 Received 19 March 2019; Received in revised form 29 July 2019; Accepted 8 August 2019 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: mcphocas@ucy.ac.cy (M.C. Phocas), alexandrou.kristis@ucy.ac.cy (K. Alexandrou), ianast01@ucy.ac.cy (I. Anastasiadou). Structures 22 (2019) 175–185 2352-0124/ © 2019 Institution of Structural Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. T