Experimental study on wind force coefficient of a truss arch tower with multiple skewbacks

Abstract

A truss arch tower is a large-span arch structure with multiple skewbacks. This tower is made of a large number of members with unique form, and contains more than five kinds of geometric features. The wind forces and the corresponding wind effects on the truss arch tower are notably complicated. In this study, wind tunnel tests were conducted to evaluate the wind forces on the steel latticed structure mentioned above using the high-frequency base balance technique. Four segmental models, including one arch foot of main truss, two arch feet of sub-truss, and one arch crown of main truss were tested in nominally smooth flow. The drag forces were measured and compared with several existing codes, including the British, American, and Chinese codes. The incidence angle effects and the interference effects on the drag coefficient were analyzed. The testing results showed that the direction of the wind forces has a marked effect on the whole truss tower. The solidity ratio and layout of the segmental models, including the cross-section and the centerline of the members, have critical effects on the drag forces.

A method of strengthening arched buildings with insufficient bearing capacity of foundations for the thrust perception

“…Builders face some problems when installing the tie-beams in arched structures: the need for their hidden installation in the construction of the floors; the necessity to prestress them to maintain a working condition at large spans; the impossibility of standard installation of tie-beams between the arch supports when utility lines of technological objects of the building located between the arch supports. Therefore, arched buildings with large spans are often designed without the tie-beams [16][17][18][19][20], which leads to insufficient bearing capacity of their foundations due to errors made in the design or due to deviations from design decisions. For arched buildings with an insufficient bearing capacity of foundations, the use of tie-beams to strengthen them is one of the most effective methods but complicated to implement.…”