Novel cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shells and their stabilities

• Introduction of the cables improved the stability of single-layer latticed shell.
• The stability of this structure increases with the cross-section area of cable.
• The stability of this structure increases with the pretension in the cables.
• The cables decrease the sensitivity of this new structure to the joint types.

The cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shell is a new structural system that aims to enhance the stability of the single-layer latticed shell. This paper compares the stability of a cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shell with that of a single-layer latticed shell using a numerical analysis to investigate the stability behaviour of the new structure. In the analysis, the following influential parameters have been taken into account: (1) layouts of the cables; (2) joint types; (3) pretension in the cables; and (4) cross-sections of the cables. The results indicate that the buckling load of single-layer latticed shells is improved significantly by the introduction of the cables. For the cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shells with different layouts of cables, both the pretension in the cables and the cross-sections of the cables have a considerable effect on their stabilities. Meanwhile, the numerical analysis also indicates that although joint types have a remarkable effect on the stability of a single-layer latticed shell, the effect on the corresponding cable-stiffened single-layer latticed shell is limited.