Analysis of arch steel structural systems for sports centers

Abstract

In this work, a study of the variation of the parameters of structures for curved roofs was carried out in order to evaluate changes in the rate of steel consumption. Several models have been designed with different geometries and bonding conditions. At first, these models were divided into three groups or structural systems, in order to determine the most efficient from the mass point of view of the structure. Then, the group that presented the best performance was analyzed with a larger amount of data. Structural design was performed using the STRAP® software and based on the requirements of the technical standard ABNT NBR 8800: 2008. Calculating the models, it has been found that the steel rate can vary greatly from one geometry to another and, in the same system, it varies considerably with respect to span and spacing between porticos. For certain support conditions and a certain span, it was observed that the use of small spacing between porticos in order to decrease the load on each curved frame can lead to high steel rates. It has been found that this phenomenon occurs due to the limitation of the slenderness of compressed members. On the other hand, large spacing results in large surrounding areas that, in turn, require larger sections to resist soliciting stresses. Thus, there is an intermediate or optimal spacing that offers a lower rate of material consumption, allowing for the elaboration of more economical structural projects.