Keywords: rectangle planar cable net, larger deformation, geometric non-linearity, series solution, iterative method.

In the recent years, single-layer planar pre-stressed cable nets were widely used in glass curtain wall structures [1,2,3,4]. This kind of structure is pleasingly transparent, consists of small size components and provides a good architectural aesthetic effect; and has therefore received architectural favour. Because all cables are arranged in a plane, the lateral stiffness mainly depends on the pre-stressing and therefore the stiffness outside the plane is small. The net has a large deflection out of the plane under lateral load such as wind effect. During the large deflection, the structure displays an obvious geometric nonlinearity. A large deformation free vibration analysis of a planar rectangular prestressed cable-net structure based on the principle of minimum potential energy is presented in reference [3]. The calculation of the deformation of the net assuming that the distorted shape of the net is parabolic, the cable net's distortion and the prestressing forces have been carried out under the static load using the least squares method in reference [5]. Because the difference between the assumed parabolic deformation and the real distortion surface is great, therefore the calculating error is also large. A simple and accurate computational method except the finite element method is currently unavailable.

The differential equation of the deformed surface of the cable net structure is deduced in the paper based on the relationship of balanced load, the shape of cable-net and the tension forces of the cables. The series solution of the differential equation not considering geometric non-linearity is provided in reference [6]. Then the geometric nonlinearity has been considering approximately using an iterative method. The accuracy of the series iterative method to calculate the deformation and the cable tension forces are confirmed by the design of an engineering example and compared with the result of the nonlinear finite element method. The Galerkin method to calculate the cable net has been carried out in the paper for comparison with the iterated series method. The calculating accuracy of the series iterative method of the paper is sufficient for engineering design and is easy to accomplish.

1

Wang Yuanqing, Sun Fen, Shi Yongjiu, "The Deflection Performance Analysis of Single-layer Cable Net for Point-supporting Glass Curtain Under Horizontal Load", Building science, 22(2), 23-26, 2006, (in Chinese).

2

Feng Ruo-qiang, Wu Yue, Shen Shi-zhao, "Wind-induced dynamic performance of cable net glazing", Journal of Harbin Institute of Technology, 38(2):253-255, 2006, (in Chinese).

3

Shang Renjie, Li Qian, Wu Zhuanqin, "Large deformation vibration of a planar rectangular prestressed cable-net structure based on principle of minimum potential energy", Journal of Vibration and Shock, 26(3), 158-161, 2007, (in Chinese).

4

Bu Qinglong, An Jianmin, Li Baoping, "Construction Technology of Steel Structure and Glass Curtain in New Baoli Mansion", Construction Technology,35(12), 96-99, 2006, (in Chinese).

5

Jia Naiwen, "Nonlinear Spatial Structure Mechanics", Beijing: Science Press, 28-33, 2002, (in Chinese).

6

D.G. Zill, M.R. Cullen, "Differential equations with boundary-value problem", Translated by Chen Qihong, Zhang Fan, Guo Kaixuan, Beijing: Machine Industry Press, 429-438, 2005, (in Chinese).

purchase the full-text of this paper (price £20)

go to the previous paper
go to the next paper
return to the table of contents
return to the book description
purchase this book (price £145 +P&P)