Limit analysis of local failure in shallow spherical concrete caps subjected to uniform radial pressure

Many thin-walled shallow concrete shells (or caps or domes) have experienced structural collapse during or subsequent to their erection. Very few experimental investigations have been reported of shallow concrete spherical caps that allow for the effects of geometric and material non-linearities and imperfections to be identified, despite this information being essential for the validation of sophisticated numerical treatments. Classical thin-shell theories for axisymmetric domes predict a global buckling mode, but observations from experimental tests show that failure in concrete spherical caps is usually localised within a relatively small region and at a load significantly less than the classical buckling load. An investigation of the non-linear behaviour of thin-walled concrete spherical caps is currently being carried out both experimentally and theoretically at The University of New South Wales. As part of this study, an approach based on limit analysis has been developed on the basis of a local failure model and it is used for analysis of concrete/mortar spherical caps described in the published literature. The ultimate bending strength of a unit width of a spherical shell section is derived from a typical non-linear concrete stress-strain relationship and the in-plane thrust from shell membrane theory. The analytical results based on a local failure yield line model are compared with the available experimental results in the literature as well as with classical theoretical buckling results.     

大矢跨比球面网壳局部双层形式及稳定性分析

首先比较了适宜大矢跨比球面网壳的基本三角形网格划分形式,指出最优网格划分法得到的三类型数量(杆长、三角形、节点)最少、最经济。提出了构造球面网壳局部双层形式的方法,基于最优网格划分短程线型与三向格子形网壳,构造五种具有工程应用价值的局部双层形式。采用几何非线性有限元理论和屈曲路径跟踪技术,对几种网壳形式进行了深入的稳定分析。研究了稳定承载力随杆件尺寸变化规律,按梁单元与杆单元分析不同的稳定特性,大矢跨比局部双层与单层网壳稳定特性比较,以及小矢跨比网壳的屈曲特性。     

铝合金板式节点网壳稳定承载力试验研究

为研究铝合金板式节点刚度对单层球面网壳整体稳定性能的影响,制作一个跨度为8m、矢高为0.5m的K6型网壳模型,对网壳顶点施加4次单向循环荷载。试验结果表明,加载初期网壳表现出超刚性特征,即其刚度大于刚接节点网壳刚度;而后的节点螺栓滑移变形会降低网壳刚度,螺栓滑移引起的网壳变形很大且不可恢复。网壳的失稳属于整体跳跃失稳,但网壳屈曲后可继续承载,且荷载可进一步增大。最后一次单向循环加载时网壳因顶点杆件下翼缘的拉裂而破坏。另外,随着循环荷载逐级增大,网壳再加载初始刚度都有一定弱化。采用ANSYS有限元软件建立网壳分析模型,采用BEAM 188单元和COMBINE 39单元模拟考虑节点半刚性的铝合金板式节点网壳杆件,节点弯矩-转角关系曲线采用四折线模型,有限元分析结果与试验结果吻合较好。     

Time-dependent and thermal behaviour of spherical shallow concrete domes

This paper investigates the long-term and thermal behaviour of spherical shallow, thin walled concrete domes. Although these structures are vulnerable to creep, shrinkage and thermal effects, a thorough understanding of their time-dependent behaviour has hitherto not been fully established. The paper aims to provide outcomes and insight to enhance the effective design and safe use of shallow concrete domes, and a theoretical model, which accounts for the membrane and bending behaviour, as well as for creep, shrinkage and thermal effects, is developed for this purpose. The analytical model uses variational principles, equilibrium requirements, and the time-dependent constitutive relations of the concrete material. The equilibrium equations derived from this boundary value problem are solved via the so-called multiple shooting numerical method, which enables the incorporation of the variable thickness of the shell, its different boundary conditions, and various types of axisymmetric loadings in the solution. A numerical example and a parametric study, which highlight the capabilities of the proposed theoretical model and which provide some insight into the long-term and thermal behaviour of shallow concrete domes, are presented. The results show that long-term and thermal effects play important roles in the behaviour and structural safety of shallow, thin-walled concrete domes, and so these effects need to be fully understood and quantifiable.     

Compressive load response of geogrid-reinforced fine,medium and coarse sands

This paper presents data obtained from a series of laboratory plate load tests performed on geogrid-reinforced sand beds. Fine, medium and coarse sands were used as test sand beds. Circular geogrids of diameter 120 mm were used as reinforcement layers. Improvement in load–settlement response was studied. The test sand beds were compacted to a relative density of 50%. A surface footing plate of diameter 60 mm was used as the shallow foundation. It was found that the horizontal geogrid reinforcement improved the load–settlement response. The applied load for a deformation of 0.5 mm in the case of geogrid-reinforced fine sand, medium sand and coarse sand was, respectively, 83 N, 44 N and 87 N, whereas it was 63 N, 38 N and 47 N when the sands were unreinforced. Load–settlement response was found to improve further with increase in number of geogrid layers and with decrease in spacing between them. Load improvement ratio (LIR), defined as the ratio of load for a given settlement in geogrid-reinforced case to that for the same settlement in unreinforced case, increased with number of geogrids (n) for all sands, but the improvement was significant in the case of coarse sand.     

Buckling of tube-stiffened prolate domes under external water pressure

The paper describes experimental tests carried out on three tube-stiffened prolate hemi-ellipsoidal domes under external water pressure.The tubes were stuck to the internal surfaces of these three domes, in their flanks, and the experimental tests showed that the tubes increased the buckling pressures of these domes, especially in one case, when the tube was subjected to an initial internal pressure.All three domes failed by lobar buckling, in their flanks, and showed buckling resistances much larger than similar unstiffened domes.     

Factors affecting the design and construction of Lamella suspen-dome systems

The suspen-dome system is a new structural form that has become popular in the construction of long-span roof structures. These domes are very slender and lightweight, their configuration is complicated, and hence sequential consideration in the structural design is needed. This paper focuses on these considerations, which include the method for designing cable prestress force, a simplified analysis method, and the estimation of buckling capacity. Buckling is one of the most important problems for dome structures. This paper presents the findings of an intensive buckling study of the Lamella suspen-dome system that takes geometric imperfection, asymmetric loading, rise-to-span ratio, and connection rigidity into consideration. Finally, suggested design and construction guidelines are given in the conclusion of this paper.     

陕西省自然博物馆球幕影院网壳结构设计

较详细地介绍了直径 3 7 40m ,总高 3 0 2 7m的陕西省自然博物馆球幕影院的网壳设计过程。设计采用XJDST 1钢网架辅助设计软件 ,结构分析采用了基于U .L列式的薄壁构件空间梁 柱单元。除考虑网壳的强度、刚度外 ,还分析了单层球壳的屈曲模态和振动模态的形式 ,通过非线性分析 ,跟踪了网壳屈曲的全过程。针对该项目进行了风洞试验 ,利用球形网壳的风压云图进行了风载验算。设计方法可供同类工程参考。     

考虑杆件失稳的单层球面网壳稳定性分析与试验研究

为研究杆件初始缺陷和杆件失稳对网壳结构稳定性的影响,采用ANSYS有限元分析软件,引入杆件的初始缺陷,考虑杆件自身的屈曲破坏,确定其最不利整体缺陷模态和杆件缺陷模态。采用传统梁单元模型和精细化壳单元模型分别对采用圆钢管、矩形钢管、工字钢三种不同截面形式杆件的网壳结构进行稳定性分析,结果表明,考虑杆件缺陷的网壳结构稳定承载力大幅度降低。进行杆件轴力跟踪分析和杆件失稳传导分析发现,单层网壳的整体稳定破坏源于单根杆件的率先屈曲,杆件失稳瞬间迅速向相邻杆件传导,导致结构整体破坏。进行了K6（2）工字钢截面网壳的加载破坏试验,验证了预设缺陷的单根杆件失稳并传递诱发了整体破坏,且承载力受工字钢弱轴缺陷的影响很大。     

Collapse analysis of real RC spatial structures using known failure schemes of ferro‐cement shell models

Large‐span reinforced concrete (RC) shells collapses that occurred in the last decade caused many death toll as well as significant losses to national economies. The most famous cases were the collapse of the aqua park cover in Moscow on February 2004 and the 2E terminal roof destruction at Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris on May 2004. Following the publications of the appropriate commissions that have studied the reasons of these events, the influence of concrete creep and changes in the shell geometry on buckling of RC thin‐walled shells was not properly considered in the design. This study is focused on buckling of such shells, taking into account geometrical and physical nonlinear behaviour of compressed concrete. Other important reasons of concrete shells collapse are also analysed. The study is based on available experimental and theoretical investigations of ferro‐cement shells' models previously performed by the first author. The results of these investigations, obtained for small‐scale ferro‐cement models of thin‐walled shallow RC shells, are discussed. Behaviour of the tested models is compared with that of the above‐mentioned real shells and similar structures, which also collapsed. The critical buckling loads for the shells are obtained. It is shown that these loads are lower than the actual ones; thus, the shells buckling was unavoidable. To prevent brittle shell failure, they should be designed using other dominant failure modes that appear before the buckling. Possible failure schemes of real RC shells can be predicted using dominant failure modes obtained by laboratory testing of scaled models. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance of composite girders strengthened using carbon fibre reinforced polymer laminates

This paper highlights the structural performance of steel–concrete composite girders strengthened using advanced composite laminates. Nonlinear 3-D finite element models have been developed to investigate the flexural behaviour and load carrying capacity of the girders. The composite laminates comprised carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates and sheets as well as steel reinforced polymer (SRP) sheets. The elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength of the laminates varied from low to high 60–300 GPa and 700–3100 MPa, respectively. The nonlinear material properties of the strengthened composite girder components comprising concrete, structural steel beam, reinforcement bars, adhesive and composite laminates were incorporated in the finite element model. The interfaces between the composite girder components were also considered allowing the contact and bond behaviour to be modelled and the different components to retain its profile during the deformation of the strengthened composite girder. Furthermore, the load-slip characteristic of headed stud shear connectors was incorporated in the finite element models based on previous experimental and numerical investigations conducted by the author. The finite element models have been validated against published tests on composite girders strengthened using different advanced composite laminates and having different cross-section geometries, lengths, layers of laminates with different elastic moduli and ultimate tensile strengths, concrete strengths and structural steel strengths. The load carrying capacity of strengthened composite girders, load–vertical displacement behaviour and failure modes were predicted from the finite element analyses and compared against test results. Parametric studies were conducted to study the effects on the load carrying capacity and structural behaviour of strengthened composite girders owing to the change in the composite laminate elastic modulus, number of laminate layers, concrete strengths and structural steel strengths. The study has shown that the increase in the load carrying capacity and ductility of strengthened composite girders due to the increase in steel beam strength is significant with high strength concrete slab. Also, it has been shown that the increase in concrete strength offers a considerable increase in the initial stiffness of strengthened composite girders, while the increase in structural steel strength offers a considerable increase in the stiffness of strengthened composite girder in the post-yielding stage.     

Structural performance of lightweight steel-foamed concrete–steel composite walling system under compression

This paper presents the results of an experimental and analytical investigation on the structural behaviour of a composite panel system consisting of two outer skins of profiled thin-walled steel plates with lightweight foamed concrete (LFC) core under axial compression. The gross dimensions of the test specimens were 400 mm×400 mm×100 mm. A total of 12 tests were carried out, composed of two duplicates of 6 variants which were distinguished by two steel sheeting thicknesses (0.4 mm and 0.8 mm) and three edge conditions of the sheeting. The density of LFC was 1000 kg/m³. Experimental results include failure modes, maximum loads and load-vertical strain responses. In analysis, full bond between the steel sheets and the concrete core was assumed and the LFC was considered effective in restraining inward buckling of the steel sheets. Using the effective width method for the steel sheets, the load carrying capacities of the test specimens were calculated and compared with the experimental results. It was found that a combination of the Uy and Bradford plate local buckling coefficients with the Liang and Uy effective width formulation produced calculation results in good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, a feasibility study was undertaken to demonstrate the applicability and limit of this new composite walling system in low rise construction.     

直径110米肋环式穹顶设计研究

肋环式穹顶结构在水泥工厂石灰石预均化库的建设中已得到了广泛的应用.本文根据某水泥厂石灰石预均化库φ110米肋环式分叉落地穹顶结构的设计实验研究,介绍了穹顶结构的选型、风洞实验和主要风压数据.文中还分析了肋环式穹顶在不同类型荷载作用下穹顶的静力特性以及实际穹顶结构的静力、动力测试.     

均布荷载作用下单层球面网壳的弹塑性失稳模式研究

为揭示单层球面网壳结构在静力均布荷载作用下的失稳模式与失效机理,预测结构可能发生的破坏模式和承载能力,基于双重非线性全过程分析理论,采用ANSYS软件对典型球面网壳结构开展稳定性参数分析,系统考察结构的荷载-位移全过程曲线、塑性发展分布、屈曲模态等特征响应。并以典型算例为代表,从宏观和微观两个方面诠释了单层球面网壳结构可能发生的3种失稳模式:弹性失稳、弹塑性提前失稳、弹塑性失稳。指出弹塑性提前失稳是由于结构强度破坏诱发的一类承载力偏低的失稳模式,为提高结构安全性,在网壳稳定性设计阶段中应避免出现此类失稳模式。     

Behaviour of cold-formed singly symmetric columns

An experimental investigation into the behaviour of cold-formed plain and lipped channel columns compressed between fixed and pinned ends is presented in this paper. It is shown experimentally that local buckling does not induce overall bending of fixed-ended singly symmetric columns, as it does of pin-ended singly symmetric columns. Consequently, local buckling has a fundamentally different effect on the behaviour of pin-ended and fixed-ended singly symmetric columns. In order to show this fundamental different effect caused by local buckling, a series of tests was performed on plain and lipped channels brake-pressed from high strength structural steel sheets. Four different cross-section geometries were tested over a range of lengths which involved pure local buckling, distortional buckling as well as overall flexural buckling and flexural-torsional buckling. The different effects of local buckling on the behaviour of fixed-ended and pin-ended channels are investigated by comparing strengths, load–shortening and load–deflection curves, as well as longitudinal profiles of buckling deformations. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate experimentally the different effects of local buckling on the behaviour and strengths of fixed-ended and pin-ended channels.     

Thermo-hydro-chemical couplings considered in safety assessment of shallow tunnels subjected to fire load

Fire loading of concrete tunnel linings is characterized by various physical, chemical, and mechanical processes, resulting in spalling of near-surface concrete layers and degradation of strength and stiffness of the remaining tunnel lining. In this paper, the governing transport processes taking place in concrete at elevated temperatures are considered within a recently published fire-safety assessment tool [Savov K, Lackner R, Mang HA. Stability assessment of shallow tunnels subjected to fire load. Fire Safety J 2005; 40: 745–763] for underground structures. In contrast to consideration of heat transport only [Savov et al.], a coupled thermo-hydro-chemical analysis, simulating the heat and mass transport in concrete under fire loading, is performed, giving access to more realistic temperature distributions as well as gas-pressure distributions within the tunnel lining. These data serve as input for the structural safety assessment tool considering, in addition to the temperature dependence of mechanical properties, the effect of the gas pressure on the strength properties of the heated lining concrete. The combination of the two analysis tools (coupled analysis of governing transport processes and structural safety assessment) is illustrated by the fire-safety assessment of a cross-section of the Lainzer tunnel (Austria) characterized by low overburden (shallow tunnel).     

Investigation of pointed domes—II. Experiment

The aim of the experiment was to study the behavior of pointed domes subjected to point loading at the vertex. A concrete dome reinforceed with 1 mm bars running both in the meridional and parallel circular direction was constructed. Electrical resistance strain gages were mounted at several locations along the meridional and parallel direction of the shell both inside and outside. The structure was loaded within the elastic limit.The experimental values of membrane stress field are calculated and compared with the theoretical values as is described in part I of this report. (see pp. 81–85). These results are in close agreement in regions some distance away from the lower boundary and the pointed apex. But the difference between the two results becomes noticeable near the lower boundary and the vertex of the dome. Further analysis of the experiment findings indicates that the bending strain field is slight at regions that are some distance away from the lower boundary and to the apex of the dome.     

Failure mechanism of single-layer steel reticular domes with reinforced concrete substructure subjected to severe earthquakes

This paper performs the research on failure mechanism of single-layer steel reticulated domes with the reinforced concrete substructure subjected to sever earthquakes. Based on ABAQUS, this paper built user-defined material subroutines of the steel and the reinforced concrete, which took material non-linearity and the material damage accumulation into consideration. The failure mechanism of reticulated domes with reinforced concrete substructures under severe earthquakes is studied by the nonlinear dynamic response analysis. Three different failure modes of single-layer reticular domes with different sizes of reinforced concrete substructure are illustrated. Failure criterion is put forward to discriminate the failure modes and to estimate the critical load strength for single-layer reticular domes based on the structural damage theory. It has been found that reinforced concrete substructure has significant impact on the failure behaviors and the critical load of reticulated domes under seismic loads. It is essential to consider the influence of the reinforced concrete substructure upon the failure behaviors in the structural analysis and design process of reticular domes.     

A numerical investigation into the response of free end tubular composite poles subjected to axial and lateral loads

This paper presents a numerical investigation of cantilevered glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) tubular poles subjected to lateral and axial loads. A 3D finite element analysis was conducted to establish the lateral load–deflection responses under different axial loads and the axial load–bending moment interaction curves at ultimate. The model accounts for geometric nonlinearities and the composite laminate structure. Failure modes were established based on either material failure according to the Tsai-Wu failure criterion, or stability failure. The model was validated by using experimental results. A parametric study was then carried out on poles with various angle-ply and cross-ply laminates as well as different diameter-to-thickness (D/t) and length-to-diameter (L/D) ratios. The study showed that the reduction in axial strength as (L/D) ratio increases becomes more severe as (D/t) ratio is reduced. The GFRP laminate structure has a considerable effect on axial and flexural strengths of the poles for certain (D/t) ratios. It was also shown that axial load–moment interaction curves are generally linear. Increasing the fraction of longitudinal fibers in cross-ply laminates or reducing the fiber angle with the longitudinal direction in angle-ply laminates results in a larger interaction curve. A simplified design approach for the poles has been proposed.     

Analysis based evaluation for buckling loads of two-way elliptic paraboloidal single layer lattice domes

The present paper proposes an efficient method for evaluating elasto-plastic buckling loads of two-way elliptic paraboloidal lattice domes of single layer under vertical loads. The procedure is composed of the following steps: linear buckling analysis to find the generalized slenderness ratio of the specific member that is the most relevant to their loading capacities; the generalized slenderness ratio is applied to obtain the axial strength for the specific member, based on which elasto-plastic buckling load is evaluated. The comparison of the evaluated buckling loads with those obtained from FEM elasto-plastic buckling analyses proves that the procedure is valid and efficient enough to be applied in design practice. Based on safety factors, given in some recommendations, the allowable column strength is also proposed for proportioning the members of elliptic single layer paraboloidal lattice domes.