Wind-snow coupling effect on single-layer cylindrical reticulated shell stability

As a typical structure sensitive to wind and snow loads, the stability of single-layer reticulated shells is significantly affected by wind and snow loads. This paper applied CFD simulation and elastic-plastic time history analysis of structures to study the influence of wind and snow load coupling effects on the stability of single-layer cylindrical reticulated shells. Firstly, the typical distribution characteristics of the snowdrift under various inflow velocities on the cylindrical roof were identified through CFD simulation. Afterwards, the influence of the shape and height of the snowdrift on wind and snow fields around the cylindrical roof was discussed. Finally, the critical wind velocity of single-layer cylindrical reticulated shells with different stable snowdrifts was calculated, and the influence of the coupling effect of wind and snow loads on their stability was analyzed. The results indicate that under different inflow wind velocities, the cylindrical roof has four typical snow distribution patterns. The shape and height of the snowdrift seriously affect the distribution of wind and snow fields around the cylindrical roof. Considering the coupling effects of wind and snow loads, which significantly reduce the critical wind pressure of structures, the safety factor in traditional design methods should be increased by 1.7–2.0 times to ensure structural integrity.