EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND CABLE BROKEN OF LEVY CABLE DOME

The cable dome with diameter of six meters was tested under a vertical symmetry loading, an asymmetrical loading, and the cable broken test was also made. The mechanical performance of the cable dome was analyzed based on the experimental study in the moment of cable broken. The mathematical model based on the nonlinear finite element numerical method was employed to analyze the main mechanical properties which were compared with the test results. The test results show that: the node displacement is larger than that of the numerical calculation results, and the inner forces of the cable have a general good agreement with the numeric ones; the vertical load-displacement has good relationship under vertical symmetry loading, and the load and the displacement has nonlinear relationship under asymmetric loading, thusly the stiffness under asymmetrical loading is the key of design; cable dome has vibration in the moment of cable broken, and the cable failure at different locations makes the different influence to the structure.