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Tunable Design and Axial Compression Property of Novel Bio?Inspired Tubular Lattice Structures

Drawing inspiration from biological architectures, a novel tubular lattice structure integrating both straight and curved beam elements has been developed. The mechanical performance and deformation mechanisms of this heterogeneous tubular lattice were thoroughly investigated through quasi?static compression experiments and finite element analysis. This design approach offers fundamentally new opportunities for engineering design and practical applications.Bionic tubular lattice structures (TLSs) integrate the lightweight characteristics of natural skeletal systems with engineered mechanical enhancements, resulting in exceptional mechanical properties and adjustable axial deformation. Drawing inspiration from the venation pattern of the Victoria amazonica leaf and the morphology of turtle bones, both rectangular?truss lattice (RTL) and arc?truss lattice (ATL) structures were proposed. Subsequently, a hybrid truss lattice (HTL) structure was developed by integrating these two configurations. The quasi?static axial compression test results indicated that RTL exhibited the highest Young’s modulus, whereas ATL demonstrated superior energy absorption capacity. Notably, the HTL demonstrates superior performance in buckling strength compared to both RTL and ATL, exhibiting an improvement of 6.24% over RTL and a significant enhancement of 37.52% over ATL. Additionally, finite element simulations revealed that the interaction between straight and arc beams in HTL facilitates mutual reinforcement and constrains deformation, thereby enhancing the mechanical response. This study emphasizes the tunability of the mechanical behavior of TLS through the manipulation of critical geometric parameters. The findings substantiate the viability of hybrid design strategies for TLSs, presenting significant potential for applications such as architectural installations, aerospace components, and biomedical scaffolds.

Publication date: 27/03/2026

Author: Zhuang Cui, Peng Jiao, Dongdong Guo, Yanwei Xu, Boxin Nie, Zhiping Chen

Advanced Engineering Materials

      

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 870292.