Dynamic Structural Responses of Long-Span Dome Structures Induced by Tornadoes
Alternative Title
Dynamic Responses on Large-Scale Dome Structures Induced by Tornado
Abstract
Long-span dome structures are widely used for public assembly venues because of their large column-free space and efficient use of materials. When occupied by hundreds or even thousands of people, it would be devastating if they fail or collapse, which unfortunately happen frequently during extreme events, especially under tornadic winds. Although static effects of tornadoes on civil structures have been extensively studied, their dynamic impact has not been sufficiently investigated. In this study, non-stationary characteristics of tornadoes and their dynamic impact on a long-span dome structure are systematically investigated. In particular, the time-variant wind pressure on the dome surface induced by translating tornadoes with different intensities is characterized through Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations. The obtained wind pressure is then mapped onto the finite element model of the dome structure, and transient time-history analyses are conducted to characterize the tornado-induced dynamic responses. It is observed that non-stationary wind pressure and the induced dynamic structural responses are significant, when core radius of the tornado approaches the dome. Wind flow of EF4 and EF5 tornadoes is found to be more turbulent than EF2 and EF3 tornadoes, and hence larger and more rapid fluctuations of dynamic responses.
Recommended Citation
T. Li et al., "Dynamic Structural Responses of Long-Span Dome Structures Induced by Tornadoes," Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, vol. 190, pp. 293 - 308, Elsevier B.V., Jul 2019.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2019.05.010
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Research Center/Lab(s)
INSPIRE - University Transportation Center
Second Research Center/Lab
Center for High Performance Computing Research
Keywords and Phrases
Computational fluid dynamics; Dome structure; Dynamic structural response; Tornado; Translating tornadic wind
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0167-6105
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jul 2019
Comments
This work was supported by National Science Foundation , the Hazard Mitigation and Structural Engineering program, through the project of "Damage and Instability Detection of Civil Large-scale Space Structures under Operational and Multi-hazard Environments" [award number 1455709].