Experimental study on single-layer reticulated dome under impact

Model experiments of KIEWITT-6 reticulated dome, including modal analysis, elastic and destructive impact loading tests, were conducted to verify the numerical model developed incorporating ANSYS/LS-DYNA and the two typical failure modes (local dent of structure and global collapse of structure). It is useful to study the behavior of reticulated domes under impact load. Comparison analysis results show that the shape of the temporal curve for the impact load can be affected by two factors. One is the initial deflection of impactor. The other factor is the constraint of the support if the dynamic response will spread to the support when impact action is complete. The total impulse and dynamic responses are affected little by those two factors, if elastic impact occurs. By comparison, if destructive impact occurs, members may fail earlier for asymmetric load, which causes the reduction of total impulse. That may lead to the change of the failure mode. However, the result is conservative if the initial deflection is neglected. Furthermore, damping has little effect on the impact load, while has a significant effect on dynamic response during latter stage that may change the failure mode. Neither the impact load nor the dynamic response is sensitive to initial geometric defect.