A Comparison of the Structural Efficiency of Some Braced Domes

Abstract

Starting from the usual conception of braced domes for the roofing of tanks, the optimization of the steel consumption was investigated as a function of the following two parameters: type of braced dome and shape of the bar sections. Four geometries were investigated namely, ribbed domes, Schwedler-type domes with simple diagonals, having the same or alternate orientation, and Schwedler-type domes with crossed diagonals. As for the sections, open (hot-rolled) sections and rectangular sections have been investigated.

The main conclusions of the research are: 1. the snow loading on half the dome is the most unfavourable loading; 2. the hollow section is more advantageous than the open one; 3. Schwedler-type domes are more advantageous than the ribbed ones (among the three variants there are no important differences); 4. a cyclic configuration of the braced dome ensures the best statical behaviour of the dome.

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