The Investigation on Static Stability Analysis for Reticulated Shell with Initial Defect Value Using Stochastic Defect Mode Method

Abstract

Regarding the effect of the initial geometric defect (IGD) on the static stability of single-layer reticulated shells, its distribution pattern and magnitude are the main concerns to researchers. However, the suitable selection of the initial geometric defect magnitude (IGDM) is still a controversial topic. Therefore, it is intended to study the determination of the proper IGDM based on the structure force state (SFS) and the defect coefficient. In order to find out a qualified IGDM, more than 5200 numerical cases are carried out for four types of commonly used single-layer reticulated shells with the span ranging from 40 to 70 m and the rise–span ratio from 1/4 to 1/7, within the random defect mode method, by taking both geometric and material nonlinearity into account. The results show that it is more feasible to set the L/500 as IGDM when evaluating the stability of the single-layer reticulated shell. In addition, an updated criterion to identify the SFS at the stability critical state (SCS) is developed.