Abstract
Space frame structures satisfy the ever-increasing requirements of societies for providing a variety of structural forms and architectural spaces with special characteristics, such as aesthetic and free-form features, population-wise capacities, and structural performance, among others. Structural behavior of these systems largely depend on the type of joints and their components which are to be considered appropriately in design and analysis. Screws comprise one of the key components of joints in these structures and play a pivotal role in the total cost of the structure, as well as the maximum stress level created in joints. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of screw size on the maximum stress generated in three MERO double-layer ball joints with diameters of 98, 110, and 132 mm as a sample numerical analysis case to pinpoint this fact. Numerical simulations were conducted using ANSYS workbench software. Based on the results, in order to achieve the maximum factor of safety (FOS), the minimum stress, and keeping the total construction cost optimal, it is recommended to use M16, M20, and M24 screws for the ball joints of diameters 98, 110, and 132 mm, respectively.
Highlights
The growth of human population has led to an increasing need for large spaces without the presence of middle pillars, such as community halls, passenger terminals, factory halls, sports stadiums, and recreational and cultural centers
The effect of changing the screw size on the maximum stress level created in the double layer ball joint, under 8 axial tensile-compressive loads of 5 tons, was evaluated
The last part was dedicated to the factor of safety (FOS) for different sizes of MERO joint, which was examined for different screw sizes under the same loading conditions
Summary
The growth of human population has led to an increasing need for large spaces without the presence of middle pillars, such as community halls, passenger terminals, factory halls, sports stadiums, and recreational and cultural centers. The MERO joint is regarded as just one of the various standard joints and includes 18 threaded holes and machining surfaces that are located at 45, 60, and 90° from each other [7] Another component of the space frame structures is the pipe, mainly made of ST37 steel, which is used to resist axial tensile and compressive loads. The screw is a detachable element that under applied loads transfers its internal tensile force to the conical piece. These screws have high stiffness classes of 8.8 or 10.9 [6]. For the purpose of numerical simulations, the model is validated through a single-axis mode and based on accurate calculations via FEM analysis using ANSYS
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