Structural assessment of rapid deployment canopy structure

A lightweight, deployable canopy system has been designed to provide weather protection for events seating. Built as a cantilever truss fixed to the back of seating systems, the canopy avoids the use of columns within the viewing area and is deployed from the ground level. A full-scale prototype has been tested to demonstrate its fulfilment of its functional requirements. Current research looks at methods to optimise the structural performance of the system to make it more reliable and efficient. The points considered include the use of curved and continuous members in the compression chord, the making of tension chord and diagonal bracing members from cables and the optimisation of the cantilever geometry. The potential use of straight and non-continuous compression chord members is discussed. The importance of controlling the geometry of the structure and how it can lead to more desirable internal force distributions is also studied. This work will help guide the ongoing development of the new system to make it both more reliable and more cost effective.