Failure modes of reticulated domes subjected to impact and the judgment

FE models of both the single-layer Kiewitt-8 reticulated domes with a span of 60 m and the cylindrical impactor were developed incorporating ANSYS/LS-DYNA. Numerical simulations of the dynamic behaviours of domes subjected to impact on the apex were conducted, and the four failure modes were indentified according to the dynamic responses. It was found that correlation between the initial impact conditions, mass and velocity of impactor, and dynamic responses, and correlation between the initial impact conditions and the failure modes are both poor. However, close correlation between the response velocity vIJ of the impacted joint, i.e. the velocity of the impacted joint when the first impact is just over, and the dynamic responses of dome was revealed. vIJ was used to judge the failure modes. Furthermore, theoretical solution of vIJ was achieved by means of the defined impact zone and the equivalent mass of the zone. By so doing, the response velocity vIJ and the judgment of the failure modes of dome can be solved by the simplified theoretical approach, without resorting to the sophisticated FE modelling.