Topological alternatives and structural modeling of infinite grillages on elastic foundations
Several infinite spatially periodic grillages on elastic supports, subjected to lateral static loading, are studied. The topologies of the repeating patterns of the grillages that are considered herein are the only possibilities for dividing a plane into regular polygons. These are grillages composed of triangular, square, or hexagonal cells. A general scheme for the analysis of arbitrary periodic infinite grillages on elastic supports is presented. The compliance and robustness, which is understood as the response of a system when one of its elements is absent, are calculated analytically for the case of discrete elastic spring supports and of a Winkler elastic foundation. A parametric study is carried out in order to compare the three topologies. The results are discussed and concluding remarks are presented.
winkler elastic foundation infinite periodic grillage discrete fourier transform topological design