Steel Arch Stabilized by a Textile Membrane

摘要

A slender steel arch supporting textile membranes in a complex membrane structure with respect to in-plane and out-of plane stability is investigated. In the last decades the textile membranes are widely used to cover both common and extraordinary structures due to progress of new membrane materials with high-performance properties. In comparison with use of a traditional roof decking these structures are much more economical and attractive. However, the complex analysis and computational design methods are demanding and still not codified. The real physical model of a membrane structure supported by two inner steel arches and covering a concert stage was constructed and tested in laboratory of CTU in Prague. The membrane used was the Precontraint 702S Ferrari prestressed textile membrane with PVC coating. The arches were hot-formed in a workshop from Grade S355J0 steel. The paper presents experimental results for: i) isolated inner arch, ii) complex structure of the membrane with supporting arches, both under symmetrical and asymmetrical loading. Furthermore the numerical nonlinear FEM model created in SOFiSTiK software package and its validation for the above structural configurations and loading is presented. Subsequent parametrical studies cover various levels of the membrane prestressing to show its significance for nonlinear behaviour and stability of the inner arch. Finally some recommendations concerning numerical modelling are presented.