Light and Strong

Introduction

The STRENGTHof a material decreases with its density. But it is possible to construct a super strong structure using a material of very low density by arranging vertical, diagonal and horizontal beams in a way that the weight load gets distributed. This geometric concept has been known for decades, but it is for the first time actual models of polymer, ceramic and metals have been created which are unusually strong for their densities. The design could be used for constructing structures deployed in the space as carrying heavy load increases the cost of the launch. 

Source

Down to Earth, July 2014