Experimental and numerical buckling analysis of a thin TRC dome

• Investigation of buckling behaviour of a thin textile reinforced concrete dome.
• The TRC dome is subjected to a uniform pressure until it buckles.
• Numerical simulation using Riks method and including geometrical imperfections.
• Experiment and model closely correspond for the observed mode.

Shells in textile reinforced concrete (TRC) can be made very thin thanks to their non-corroding reinforcement. Consequently, buckling becomes an important parameter. Because of the lack of data in literature, this paper presents the experimental and numerical analysis on the buckling behaviour of a TRC dome (2 m span, 0.2 m height, 3.7 mm thick), which is subjected to a uniform pressure load until it buckles. This experiment is simulated using the Riks method in Abaqus and implementing geometrical imperfections. The simulations correspond well to the experimental data and validate the model, which enables the prediction of buckling, necessary when designing thin TRC shells.