RE SEARCH ARTICLE OPTIMAL DESIGN OF A FABRIC SHELL USING A COUPLED FEM - OPTIM IZATION PROCEDURE

On this work it is shown the behavior of a prestressed spatial steel structure joined to a catenoid fabric shell. This structure was projected based on a minimalist concept, and was designed to cover large spans wi th a minimum weight. The bearing structure is formed by tube bars joined by prestressed cables. The cover is a catenoid shell made of polyester fiber. The study has focused on the analysis and design of this complex structure by using Finite element method (FEM). Wind effects are included together with gravitational and prestressed loads, the analytical procedure couples a dynamic structural analysis with a non linear optimization procedure. Results show the final stresses in the structure and sections des ign obtained according to the Standards LRFD. Computer simulation was carry on using Ansys software.