Are there some torsion box experts out there? I'm trying to understand what is important and what is not about torsion box design.
For example, do the joints in the ribs matter? I've seen lot of the 1/2 "U" joint (as in this design) where the horizontal and vertical ribs are continuous pieces with joint cuts 1/2 way through. I've also seen designs where one axis is continuous with no holes, and the other is small pieces with no holes, with the joints just glued and brad nailed to form the honeycomb. Does it matter?
Most designs have the ribs in square or rectangular boxes. Does that matter? Could one axis be staggered?
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How do you calculate the thickness of the rib material, or for that matter, the skin material to get flat surfaces? Clearly there is a relationship between how many ribs and the strength of each rib.
Most designs have the outer edges thicker than the internal ribs. Is that actually part of the design, or just done for other reasons?
Most designs I've seen use either ply or MDF for the ribs. Is ply better or worse in compression on edge than MDF for a given thickness?
When you support a torsion box, does it matter where the supports are? Is edge support better than, say, a platform that covers 1/2 the area in the center? I'm guessing it behaves like any other slab, and it's the longest unsupported span that counts, but is that really true for a torsion box?