Also: web mechanics
How spider webs survive damage by sacrificing single threads.
Search Google Patents for this topic: all patents · recent applications (2022+)
Patent searches are generated from the topic's key terms; a patent is a legal claim, not proof that something works. See the Patents page.
Readiness: lab lab studies · prototype demonstrated objects · commercial products or buildings in real use · review summaries of other studies.
Export this topic's references: BibTeX · RIS (Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley)
Blackledge and Eliason found bigger orb webs intercept more prey, while narrow-meshed webs were almost three times more likely to catch large insects.
As reported in: Blackledge, Eliason (2007). Functionally independent components of prey capture are architecturally constrained in spider orb webs. Biology Letters. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0218
Cranford and colleagues showed silk's softening then stiffening under strain localizes damage to single threads, making webs robust.
As reported in: Cranford, Tarakanova, Pugno et al. (2012). Nonlinear material behaviour of spider silk yields robust webs. Nature. doi:10.1038/nature10739