Stability analysis of landing assembled Chinese solar greenhouses with discrete lateral braces under snow loads

Abstract

Snow loads may lead to out-of-plane buckling failures of Chinese solar greenhouses (CSGs), which is avoidable using lateral brace arrangements to improve the ultimate buckling resistance of CSGs. Using finite element methods, this study explored the lateral brace arrangement and corresponding threshold stiffness required to prevent out-of-plane buckling. First, buckling analyses of CSGs without lateral braces were conducted, and the effects of the cross-sectional dimensions on the first buckling load were investigated. Second, one lateral brace was arranged on the south roof to investigate the effects of the location and stiffness of the lateral brace on the stability of CSGs. Finally, multi-lateral braces were arranged on the south roof to calculate the number of lateral braces and corresponding threshold stiffness. The results showed that out-of-plane flexural buckling was the governing failure mode for CSGs without lateral braces under snow loads. When one lateral brace was arranged on the south roof, its optimal location was the mid-span of the south roof, and when multi-lateral braces were arranged on it, the threshold lateral brace stiffness decreased as the number of braces increased. Considering the steel consumption and installation costs, it is recommended to arrange at least three lateral braces on the south roof of a CSG with a span of 10 m. This study provided a reference for the arrangement of lateral braces in landing assembled CSGs.