Stability Analysis And Static Experimental Study On Suspendome

Suspendome structure system is a new kind of hybrid space structure systempresented by Mamoru Kawaguchi in Japan, which combines single-layer reticulatedshell and tensegrity system. Taking full advantages of two systems and avoiding someof their shortcomings, suspendome owns a bright future in the area of large spanspace structure. As a part of the systematical studies on the suspendome system by thesteel-structure staff of Tianjin university, this paper, laying the emphasis on the staticand stability analysis and the static field-test, carries out detailed studies of thestructure with the use of the FEM software ANSYS. Considering structure's large deformation, non-linear static analysis is carried outto review the static performance including the internal force, the node displacementand the change of the internal force of pre-stressed cables. The influence of different structural factors-- including different rise-span ratios,initial defects of structure, values and proportions of cable pre-stress, node rigidityand boundary conditions-- on the structural stability performance, is discussed indetails by contrast with corresponding single-layer reticulated shells. Studies showthat the rise-span ratio and the node rigidity are key factors influencing the structuralstability performance. The bigger the rise-span ratio is, the bigger the value of criticalload is. The stability performance of structures with rigid nodes is far better than thatof structures with pin nodes, and the capabilities of the pre-stressed cables aredifferent for these two kinds of structures. Also boundary conditions have influenceon the stability performance. Sliding supports make the structural stabilityperformance much worse than fixed supports. It is also confirmed that the sensibilityto initial defect of suspendome is less than that of corresponding single-layerreticulated dome. To find out the real performance of the structure under stepped loads, static fieldtests of flexible cable suspendome and rigid bar suspendome are carried out. Thequalitative comparison between test results and theoretical analysis is coherent. Dueto the actual difficulties in the field test and the stretching process of the pre-stresscables, there still is difference in the detailed quantitative analysis.