Multi-objective optimisation of bamboo tensegrity structure for post-disaster immediate relief

This paper seeks to optimise a system of immediate relief shelters which are quick to deploy, easily assembled by unskilled workers and utilise locally sourced and sustainable materials. It addresses concerns such as time-consuming tent delivery as the first response during emergencies and cost-effectiveness and exploits the self-erecting affordances of tensegrity structures. The research adopts a multi-phase methodology, an iterative multicriteria simulation and prototyping optimisation. The three stages are: (1) computational simulation followed by multi-objective optimisation, (2) full-scale prototyping, and (3) a second round of multi-objective optimisation informed by prototype evaluations. The discussions around the self-build bamboo tensegrity sleeping structures are focused only on the compression and tensional elements (without skin or façade, which will be the focus of a subsequent study). Five design parameters are investigated: the number of bamboo struts, overall height, degree of rotation, and radius of the top and bottom sections. By optimising these parameters, three performance criteria are considered to evaluate spatial needs and portability: the possible number of occupants, the total weight, and the length of each bamboo strut. The study finds that after optimisation, these shelters are best suited to occupancy rates of one to five people, however, three people are required to erect the structures and carry longer bamboo culms so this must be factored into any potential deployment scenario.