Superposed functions as Airy stress functions for form-finding of funicular shell structures

The design and optimization of funicular compression-only shells can be enabled by Airy stress functions. A method to superpose elementary mathematical functions into Airy stress functions to enable improved designer feedback relating to optimization of funicular compression-only shells is presented, determining stress functions directly [1]. This paper aims to broaden the design freedom allowed by utilizing Airy stress functions, thus alleviating the major cited limitation of this approach [2]. A library of mathematical functions is established, wherein each function is assigned a variety of parameters and weights. This paper will describe a procedure to superpose mathematical functions into new Airy stress functions for broader diversity of compression-only forms created using Airy stress functions.