Spatial two-node catenary element for analyzing cable-net structures

To analyze the linear and nonlinear behaviors of cable-net structures based on their mechanical characteristics, this paper presents a spatial two-node catenary cable element model (STCCE), which can be used to analyze the nonlinear effect cable structures under static and dynamic loads. The tangent stiffness matrix was derived based on the analytical solutions of elastic catenary; the stiffness matrix and internal force vector were calculated using an iterative algorithm; the nonlinear behavior was analyzed using the new model STCCE under static and dynamic loading. The Newton-Raphson method was applied to sove the structural balance equation for the nonlinear static analysis. An incremental iterative method, based on the Newmark direct integration and Newton-Raphson methods, was used for nonlinear dynamic time-history analysis. The accuracy and reliability of the STCCE were verified using numerical analysis.