A new class of strongly nonlinear metamaterials based on tensegrity concepts is proposed and the solitary wave dynamics under impact loading is investigated. Such systems can be tuned into elastic hardening or elastic softening regimes by adjusting local and global prestress. In the softening regime these metamaterials are able to transform initially compression pulse into a solitary rarefaction wave followed by oscillatory tail with progressively decreasing amplitude. Interaction of a compression solitary pulse with an interface between elastically hardening and softening materials having correspondingly low-high acoustic impedances demonstrates anomalous behavior: a train of reflected compression solitary waves in the low impedance material; and a transmitted solitary rarefaction wave with oscillatory tail in high impedance material. The interaction of a rarefaction solitary wave with an interface between elastically softening and elastically hardening materials with high-low impedances also demonstrates anomalous behavior: a reflected solitary rarefaction wave with oscillatory tail in the high impedance branch; and a delayed train of transmitted compression solitary pulses in the low impedance branch. These anomalous impact transformation properties may allow for the design of ultimate impact mitigation devices without relying on energy dissipation.

We study the geometrically nonlinear behavior of uniformly compressed tensegrity prisms, through fully elastic and rigid-elastic models. The presented models predict a variety of mechanical behaviors in the regime of large displacements, including an extreme stiffening-type response, already known in the literature, and a newly discovered, extreme softening behavior. The latter may lead to a snap buckling event producing an axial collapse of the structure. The switching from one mechanical regime to another depends on the aspect ratio of the structure, the magnitude of the applied prestress, and the material properties of the constituent elements. We discuss potential acoustic applications of such behaviors, which are related to the design and manufacture of tensegrity lattices and innovative phononic crystals.

The present paper is concerned with the formulation of new assembly methods of bi-material tensegrity prisms, and the experimental characterization of the compressive response of such structures. The presented assembly techniques are easy to implement, including a string-first approach in the case of ordinary tensegrity prisms, and a basefirst approach in the case of systems equipped with rigid bases. The experimental section shows that the compressive response of tensegrity prisms switches from stiffening to softening under large displacements, in dependence on the current values of suitable geometric and prestress variables. Future research lines regarding the mechanical modeling of tensegrity prisms and their use as building blocks of nonlinear periodic lattices and acoustic metamaterials are discussed.

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