Mechanical response of an adaptive solar timber stadium structure

This work proposes a novel structural concept for sports stadiums based on a remarkably long-span timber system combined with an adaptive, sun-tracking roof. Cable pretension in the glued laminated timber supporting structure is introduced as a key design parameter to regulate structural stiffness and enhance overall mechanical performance. The roof assembly incorporates a tiltable solar membrane equipped with lightweight, bifacial photovoltaic devices. A design methodology is presented for the key modular elements of the supporting timber structure, including minimum-mass-oriented sizing of the structural members and a detailed definition of the prestressing strategy associated with a representative mast element. The structural response under wind loading is investigated using a nonlinear continuation technique capable of tracking equilibrium paths in the presence of follower forces and predicting the vibration modes of the system. The results indicate stable behavior under high wind loads and sufficiently separated modal frequencies, with a fundamental frequency on the order of 2 Hz. The tensegrity-based modeling framework is validated through a three-dimensional finite element simulation of a representative stadium module, which captures the spatial response and transverse vibration modes of the structure. Overall, the proposed timber–tensegrity solution demonstrates favorable stiffness, stability, and dynamic performance for sustainable, solar-integrated stadium structures.