An investigation of an existing aluminum lattice dome under snow loads

A linear analysis of a commercial aluminum lattice dome was performed with the loads prescribed by the American National Standards Institute. The pressure snow loads were transformed into a distributed load along the dome members. The analysis of the dome was performed with the structural analysis program STAAD-III. The dome was modeled as a space frame with the joint member stiffness range from pinned-end to four times the member stiffness. The internal forces in the pinned-end and framed-end models were compared to the specifications by the Aluminum Association. The pinned-end model under the unbalanced snow load were found to exceed the allowable. The maximum deflection occurred when the joint stiffness was one-half of the member stiffness. The maximum axial force occurred when the joint stiffness was four times the member stiffness. The maximum moment at the midpoint of the member occurs when the member ends are pinned.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Civil Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1991

Author dc:creator

• Cook, Byron Lloyd

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Holzer, Siegfried M.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Plaut, Raymond H.
• Garst, Donald A.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-08042009-040245

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44143