Experimental study on the mechanical behavior of glulam suspendome considering the influence of prestressing

Abstract

Integrating the prestressing system with the glulam reticulated shell, this study introduces an innovative glulam suspendome characterized by its exceptional span capability and great load-bearing capacity. Experimental research on the glulam suspendome was conducted considering various prestressing scenarios and loading conditions, incorporating both design load and quadruple design load assessments. Half-span loading was also introduced to explore the influence of asymmetric load. The results revealed that both the node displacements and the load exhibited linearity, implying that the structure remained in the elastic stage. Under full-span loading, the maximum strain was observed in the radial member with a value of −226με. Asymmetric load exerted a more adverse effect on the overall stability of glulam suspendome. With a prestress ratio of 1:2 between inner and outer cable, increasing outer cable force from 1.5 kN to 4.5 kN resulted in a 109.08 % reduction in displacement at the mid-span node under full-span loading, and a 98.04 % reduction during half-span loading. The increase in prestressing significantly improved the rigidity of glulam suspendome.