On a serious note, the co-relation to the Moreton Bay Bug has really begun to start me thinking about the structure supporting the platforms in the station. I recently spotted this image online of the inside of a turtle shell (another species common throughout southeast Qld) and found it fascinating. Whilst it is commonly referred to as a shell (which is usually thought of as an exoskeleton), this is only external, and also contains a partially frame based endoskeleton.
So what might the structural properties of the crayfish shell offer my building in terms of biomimicry? This is something I think I'd really like to investigate further during this semester and next, time permitting.
Microstructure of the crayfish cuticle
Schematic illustration of the elastic-plastic deformation of the endocuticle under compression in the normal direction (a) and in the transverse direction (b). The dashed lines mark the shape of the specimens after deformation. (c) Schematic figure of the deformation of pore canals compressed in transverse direction. When observing the cuticle surface (transverse I), lateral broadening caused by collapsing pore canals is visible. During observation of the cuticle’s cross section (transverse II) this broadening is also occurring, but does not become visible. (d) Schematic sketch showing the orientation of the fracture plane in samples tested in transverse direction
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