Lightweight materials and structures

New categories of ultra-light load bearing structures are described. They are derived from topology optimisation and fabricated from advanced structural alloys. Maximum realisable load capacities are attained by designing panels with truss core architectures that exclude bending modes. Metrics are presented that permit these structures to be compared in a direct manner with other concepts. The comparison enables weight benefits to be specified for flat and curved panels subject to bending and compressive loads. Models that relate the performance to the core architecture and to the properties of the constituent alloys are described, as well as experimental measurements used to validate the models. The relative merits of different methods for fabricating the desired topologies are discussed, as needed to establish the basis for a cost/performance trade-off.