The overall elastic buckling of spacedomes is known to be sensitive to the form of loading system and magnitudes of any initial geometric imperfections. For this reason classical bifurcation analyses provide non-conservative estimates of potential buckling loads. The alternative numerical approach to the analysis of the associated unstable buckling phenomena does not appear to be said to provide a sufficiently simple and reliable basis for design.

This paper uses numerical solution to examine the degree of imperfection sensitivity displayed by the overall buckling loads for a class of single-skin spacedome. The associated non-linear phenomena are interpreted by classical bifurcation analyses. By considering the relative stiffnesses in each of the various components of the spacedome resistance to classical buckling, it is shown that the elimination of those components that are lost in the post-buckling behaviour, through an appropriate reduced stiffness buckling model, allows simple lower bounds to be defined.

As for related shell buckling analyses this approach, when suitably combined with the effects of material plasticity has the potential to provide a simple and reliable basis for design analysis. It is suggested that an important added design advantage of the proposed analysis technique is that it provides a direct indication of how member stiffening can best be modified, so as to enhance the buckling capacity.

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