Investigating the Pattern of Progressive Collapse in Double-Layer Dome Space Trusses

Space structures lack non-structural members adding to their stiffness and strength. Also, these structures have lower degree of redundancy, and therefore the loss of an important member in them can result in collapse of the entire structure. Progressive failure in dome structures has been investigated by various researchers (Jihong and Nian 2017; Zhao et al. 2017; Fu and Parke 2018; Gordini et al. 2018; Zheng and Fan 2018). The purpose of this study is to identify the behavior of two-layer dome structures against the occurrence of progressive failure and to determine the relevant failure patterns. The occurrence and pattern of progressive failure in the studied dome is investigated by eliminating the compressive and tensile members as well as the support structures.