Dynamic analysis of highly symmetric cable dome structures

Abstract

Cable dome structures belong to a new type of efficient and robust prestressed cable-strut strutures. A highly symmetric cable dome is the regular special arrangement of the tension cables, compression struts, and pin-joints. Recent investigation on such kind of regular and symmetric structures is extensive. However, there is limited dynamic research on cable dome structures. Here, frequency analysis is firstly carried out and compared by Abaqus between highly symmetric dome structures with Geiger type and those with Levy type. Further, the influencing factors of initial prestress and loading states are studied. Subsequently, time history analysis is performed in different directions to study dynamic behavior of cable dome structures. The traveling wave effect and changes of cross-sectional areas of all the members are considered. The results show that dynamic behavior of Levy dome structure is superior to that of Geiger dome structure, whereas the natural frequencies are relatively low and intensively distributed. The increase of initial prestress and cross-sectional areas of the members is conducive to improvement of structural stiffness. Moreover, the stiffness will be weakened by enlargement of loads. Levy dome structure is sensitive to traveling wave effect.