Experimental Study of Dynamic Propagation of Local Snap-through in Single-layer Braced Domes

Nodal snap-through has dynamic characteristics which if neglected may lead to an unrealistic estimation of behaviour. When a local nodal snap-through occurs in single-layer braced domes, kinetic energy is released in a local region of the dome. If the dome is capable of absorbing the kinetic energy released, the instability will not propagate and will remain contained. However, if the dome is unable to absorb the sudden release of kinetic energy, progressive collapse of the structure will occur. The authors have already proposed a procedure for modelling the propagation phenomenon. In the present study, two single-layer braced domes were fabricated and tested to collapse in order to evaluate the accuracy and validity of the proposed procedure. The main objectives of the experimental studies were to obtain reliable experimental data for these types of structures and to use this data to assess the validity of the assumptions made in the theoretical procedure. The experimental results show the reliability of the proposed procedure.