Collapse Behavior of Cable-Stiffened Single-Layer Barrel Vaults with Novel Forms of Out-of-Plane Cables

Abstract

Cable-stiffened single-layer latticed structures with quadrilateral meshing have recently became increasingly popular to cover large-span areas due to their architectural aesthetics and high strength-to-weight ratio. Previous studies have indicated that using out-of-plane cables has a crucial role in improving instability-related issues and collapse load. In this study, the instability and collapse behavior of cable-stiffened single-layer latticed barrel vaults have been investigated using novel out-of-plane cables in an effort to achieve the appropriate model. Several parameters including, span lengths, rise-to-span ratios, strut lengths, and boundary conditions have been considered in the analyses. Using a certain amount of pre-stressing to the cables, the models have been designed under conventional load combinations including, namely dead, snow, earthquake, and wind loads. Nonlinear finite element analyses under symmetric and asymmetric snow load distributions have been carried out, considering an elasto-plastic behavior with hardening for the steel materials and an elasto-plastic behavior for the material of the cable. Based on the collapse load, collapse mechanism, energy absorption, minimum cables usage, and simplicity of construction, the appropriate model was selected. In addition, these results indicate that collapse without dynamic snap-through is the main collapse mechanism in all of the models when subjected to the selected load patterns. The increase in the stiffness, collapse load, and energy absorption is found to be dependent on the form of the out-of-plane cables. In addition, in the symmetric loading pattern, the effect of support arrangement is negligible. It has been found that the out-of-plane cables in the longitudinal directions of cable-stiffened single-layer latticed barrel vaults bring about an insignificant increase in the collapse load. Also, increasing the strut lengths increases the collapse load.