Deformability of hierarchic cable roof

The hierarchic structure is formed by the negative Gaussian curvature type saddle-shaped cable roofs by suspending separate roof's corners to a higher level cable structure. These systems can be inter-combined to form wider roof areas. In order to reduce the complexity and the amount of calculation, and to avoid a calculation matrix convergence problem, calculation of stresses and displacements of complicated hierarchically subordinated structures with various geometrical parameters of a hierarchic roof could be accomplished by the sub-structuring method. The effect of interdependencies of separate structural elements and a higher level cable structure can be determined by the iterative approximation method. The following structural possibilities to decrease the deformability of a hierarchic cable roof were considered: increase in cable's stiffness and decrease in cable's dead weight. Steel and hybrid composite cable with increased specific strength used on the base of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) Vectra and steel were considered as materials of hierarchic cable structure. It was stated that increase in cable's stiffness at tension has the most significant influence upon the deformability of hierarchic cable roof. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.