Bending of Lightweight Inflated Circular Tubes—Optimal Design

Inflated tubes, and in general air inflated structures, have unique properties and advantages that can be exploited by designers. Such structures, with their very high load carrying to mass ratio, are well suited for lightweight design. Also, they present interesting properties. In fact, they can be rapidly and autonomously deployed, can be quickly moved and easily transported and, in case, can be rigidified [42, 134, 242]. These structures are utilised in many engineering applications such as aerospace, naval engineering and structural engineering, both for military and civil applications [42].