Type of Document	Master's Thesis
Author	Carradine, David Marc
Author's Email Address	dcarradi@vt.edu
URN	etd-32798-104816
Title	Experiments on the Response of Arch-Supported Membrane Shelters to Snow and Wind Loading
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Civil Engineering
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Plaut, Raymond H. Committee Chair Easterling, William Samuel Committee Member Kapania, Rabesh K. Committee Member
Keywords	pneumatic structures snow loading wind loading scale model structural failure arch-supported membrane shelters
Date of Defense	1998-04-16
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Experiments on the Response of Arch-Supported Membrane Shelters to Snow and Wind Loading by David Marc Carradine R. H. Plaut, Chairman Civil Engineering (ABSTRACT) For many years, inflatable structures and membrane enclosed structures have proved useful for a variety of purposes, such as athletic pavilions, exhibition spaces, coliseums, and kiosks. More recently, structures that combine highly pressurized inflatable arch members with light fabric membrane coverings have been considered for use as a variation of such structural systems. The United States Army has begun to investigate pressurized arch-supported membrane shelters that would be large, lightweight, and easily erected in a short amount of time. These shelters are proposed for a variety of purposes, including aircraft hangars, vehicle maintenance shelters, and medical aid stations. The specific contribution of this study was the creation and testing of scale models to obtain a better understanding of how these structures behave under wind and snow loading conditions. Three models were constructed, one at a scale of 1:100 and two at a scale of 1:50. The 1:100 scale model represented a proposed prototypical structure 200 ft long, 75 ft wide, and 50 ft tall, with multiple arches. Of the 1:50 scale models, one model represented a structure with the same dimensions as the 1:100 scale model and the other represented a single arch from one of the proposed prototypical structures. Both of the full structural models were wind and snow load tested. The single arch model was tested under full and partial snow loading. Data from the testing were collected, tabulated, and evaluated. The experimental results are discussed, conclusions are drawn, and recommendations for further research are presented.
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