Experimental study on a novel cable-strut truss

[Display omitted] •Mechanical property of a novel planar cable-strut truss is experimentally verified.•A scale model of this novel planar cable-strut truss is designed and manufactured.•Pre-stressing, static loading and natural frequency of it are tested.•Experimental results are generally consistent with numerical results. This paper experimentally verifies the mechanical properties of a novel planar cable-strut truss found by topology optimization. A scale model of this novel planar cable-strut truss is designed and manufactured. Experimental studies on the pre-stressing, static loading, and natural frequency of it are carried out. The experimental results of internal forces, displacements, and the first-order frequency and mode are generally consistent with the numerical results. This experimental verification provides a stronger proof for the engineering applicability of the novel cable-strut truss.