Classification of soil-steel structures due to shell deformation changes during backfilling

Abstract

Soil-steel structures made of corrugated sheets are divided into two groups in the paper. This division results from the critical situations caused by flexural stresses (bending stresses) in shells. One of them occurs in the stage of construction, during backfilling – index of uplift ω is then controlled. The other situation is more difficult to be identified as it occurs in the exploitation phase. The possibility of its occurrence is evident in the final stages of construction, which is indicated by the index of deflection change η. Specific examples of both shell groups are analysed in the paper. A relationship between shell crown deflection and normal stress determined in the work in a geometrical form – as a change of curvature – is used to evaluate the structural safety. Usefulness of basic surveying techniques, available during construction, is indicated in the calculation examples. They allow assessing the shell safety on the basis of the shell crown zone deformation.