EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON THE STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-PROFILE CABLE-REINFORCED AIR-SUPPORTED STRUCTURES: WIND PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION AND STATICAL BEHAVIOR UNDER WIND LOAD.
In general, air-supported structures are designed primarily against wind load which causes the greatest stresses in the environmental conditions. Furthermore, the wind pressure distribution is variable and extremely complex in contrast to the load caused by internal pressure or dead load. This paper deals with wind pressure affecting on low-profile cable-reinforced air-supported structures and their structural characteristics. The spatial distribution of wind pressure which involves features of static condition and random fluctuation was proved by wind tunnel test on rigid model (span 0. 5 m). Also measurements were made of natural wind pressure on a large-scale model (span 25 m) when hit by typhoon. The structural characteristics of air-supported structures described in this study are based on results of wind-load loading tests and periodically forced/forced displacement vibration tests by using a large-scale model.