Study on Dynamic Behavior of Single-Layer Reticulated Dome by Shaking Table Test

Large-span space structures in the form of reticulated domes, which have developed rapidly in the last three decades, are widely used in large-scale public buildings. In order to have a better understanding of its mechanical performance and verify the failure pattern under seismic motion, a shaking table test of a single-layer reticulated dome was carried out. The geometric position of the structural nodes and material properties of the members were measured, such as yield strength and Young’s modulus. The dynamic characterization of the model under white-noise excitation and fast size frequency was then performed to obtain its natural vibration frequency and damping factor. Next, the mechanical performance of the model under weak and strong seismic motions was investigated experimentally. Finally, a comparison between the experimental and numerical results obtained using the finite element software ABAQUS was made and a satisfactory agreement was found. The occurrence of large-scale deformation and significant material plasticity of these structures under severe seismic motion can be regarded as indicators of dynamic strength failure. This is the first time that the pattern of dynamic strength failure has been observed via shaking table tests.