Analytical Model and Experimental Study of Failure Behavior of Thin-Walled Shallow Concrete Domes

Abstract

The failure behavior of thin-walled shallow concrete domes under short-term and long-term loading is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The paper focuses on the long-term effects of creep and shrinkage, the material nonlinearity of the concrete under biaxial loading, and the geometric nonlinearity aspects of the structure through the development of nonlinear theoretical models for the short-term and long-term analyses. Special attention to the phenomenon of creep buckling is given in the development of the model, but without considering the nonaxisymmetric bifurcation response. The experimental phase involves the testing of two shallow domes. The first is loaded to failure under a gradually increasing pressure. The second dome is subjected to a constant sustained pressure for a period of 2.5 months. A series of tests for the characterization of the mechanical properties of the concrete, and its creep and shrinkage characteristics is also reported. The results and the theoretical-experimental comparison provide insight into the failure behavior of shallow concrete domes under both short-term and sustained loading, and contribute to the understanding of failure behavior of general concrete shells.