Nonlinear Stability Behavior of Cable-Stiffened Single-Layer Latticed Shells Under Earthquakes

Abstract

A cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shell is an efficient and lightweight structural system in the category of spatial structures. In the past, much emphasis was placed on determining the static stability behavior of this structural system. Relatively little research was attempted on the seismic behavior of cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shells. The article aims to investigate numerically the seismic behavior of this structural system and to compare the behavior of the cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shell with that of the conventional unstiffened shell. The natural vibration characteristics, including the vibration modes and natural frequencies, were examined initially by modal analysis. Subsequently, a time-history analysis was conducted to analyze the nonlinear behavior of the cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shell under the El Centro earthquake. It was demonstrated that the seismic behavior of single-layer latticed shells can be greatly enhanced by the cable-stiffening system. In addition, the effects of pretension in cables, cross-sectional area, and other parameters relating to the seismic behavior of the cable-stiffened latticed shell have also been investigated.