Evaluation of Load Factor to Be Applied in Buckling Design of Cylindrical Lattice Shells Under Asymmetric Snow Load

Abstract

The load factor is one of the keys in anti-buckling design for safety together for construction cost, and studies have been becoming demanded in a recent situation that super large and super light spatial structures have been constructed. This paper investigates the relationship between reliability index β and snow load factor γs for anti-buckling design of a simply supported cylindrical lattice shell roof under simultaneous action of both dead load and asymmetric snow load. The cylindrical lattice shell analyzed is composed of an equilateral triangle grid of which members are of steel circular hollow sections. Members are connected rigidly to nodes at their both ends. The snow distribution as a main target is assumed in a way that the snow depth on the half of the arch-like roof is half of the amount on the other half roof. The snow fall depth is here assumed 50cm evaluated as 100-year return period, and its probability is assumed as Gumbel distribution with 100-year reference period. The probability distribution of buckling strength Pcr including geometrical and material nonlinearities is approximately evaluated based on a first-order perturbation. The reliability is calculated based on AFOSM, and the relationship in a form of β to γs is finally expressed for design use.