Structural Design of a Spherical Cable Dome with Stiff Roof

Abstract

Preliminary design of a practical spherical cable dome with a diameter of 122m was carried out in China Construction (Shenzhen) Design International (CCDI) in 2006. Stiff roof (roof system with steel purlins and metallic skin) has been chosen for the project of a multifunctional gymnasium in preference to a flexible membrane (PTFE, ETFE). In the present paper the whole structural design procedure of this real cable dome is described: Load conditions, technical conditions required by performance based structural design, a novel force finding method-linear deduction method, optimal analysis of feasible initial internal force level, load analysis, nonlinear buckling analysis, cable breaking simulation, and construction animation. Technical details of joint design are also given out.

Keywords

Cable Dome Force Finding Linear Deduction Method Cable Breaking Simulation Joint Design Construction Animation Performance-Based Design

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