Experimental and numerical investigation on dynamic responses of the umbrella membrane structure excited by heavy rainfall

Abstract

n this study, dynamic response of a typical umbrella membrane structure under heavy rainfall load is studied by experimental and numerical methods. In the experiment, heavy rainfalls of three rainfall intensities are applied to a typical umbrella membrane structure under five different tensile force levels. The dynamic responses of feature points and tensile force of cables are monitored by laser displacement sensors and digital tensimeters, respectively, during the experiment. In the numerical simulation, the membrane structural model is established in ANSYS by form-finding analysis, and the rainfall load that is calculated by the analytical formula is applied to dynamic analysis. The results of the numerical simulation and the experiment are in good agreement. According to the research results, the dynamic response laws of the umbrella membrane structure under rainstorm were obtained, and the influence of rainstorm load on the umbrella membrane structure was analyzed. Suggestions for safety and structural stability of the membrane structure are proposed.