Page 158 - Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature

Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature

Architectural Designs Drawn from Spider Webs

Some spiders spin webs that resemble a tarpaulin covering thrown
over a bush. The web is borne by stretched threads attached to the edges
of the bush. This load-bearing system lets the spider spread its web wide,
while still making no concessions as to its strength.
This marvelous technique has been imitated by man in many struc-
tures to cover wide areas. Some of these include the Jeddah Airport’s
Pilgrim Terminal, the Munich Olympic Stadium, the Sydney National
Athletic Stadium, zoos in Munich and Canada, Denver Airport in
Colorado, and the Schlumberger Cambridge Research Centre building in
England.
To learn these web-building techniques all by itself, any spider
species would have to undergo a long period of engineering training.
That, of course, is out of the question. Spiders, knowing nothing about
load-bearing or architectural design, merely behave in the manner God
inspires in them.

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