Form-finding of cable-strut structures with given cable forces and strut lengths

•Propose a form-finding approach with given cable forces and strut lengths.•Transform the form-finding problem to a stationary point problem.•Define an intermediate function to solve the stationary problem. This paper presents a form-finding method for cable-strut structures with given cable forces and strut lengths. The topology of the structure, the internal force distribution of cables and the rest length of struts are given in advance. A total potential energy function in terms of nodal coordinates is derived according to the initial conditions. The equilibrium configuration satisfying the given initial conditions is essentially a stationary point of the energy function. An intermediate function is proposed and used to solve the stationary point problem. A configuration expected by the designer can be obtained when proper initial nodal coordinates are used. The effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method are verified by two typical examples.