Mechanical performance of single-layer reticulated domes with semi-rigid bolt-ball joints

A bolt-ball joint system is a typical semi-rigid system. Therefore, a single layer reticulated dome with bolt-ball joints can bear certain amount of bending moment. Based on the bending stiffness curves of a bolt-ball joint^[1], considering the geometric non-linearity and material non-linearity, the K8 and K6 single-layer reticulated domes with a bolt-joint system have been analyzed in detail using the finite element software ANSYS based on several different parameters including bending stiffness, torsional stiffness, ratio of rise to span, ball size, load distribution, tube section, support condition in this paper, and key parameters having influence on the load carrying capacity of a dome are thus identified. The overall stability characters of a single-layer reticulated dome with a bolt-ball joint system are obtained. Finally, based on the results obtained by the parametric analysis, a new formula is proposed, which allows designers a rapid estimation of buckling loads for semi-rigid jointed single-layer latticed domes.