Full-scale experimental study on the influence of damages on the static behavior of the single-layer cable net structure

As a novel type of supporting structure of glass buildings, the single-layer cable net will inevitably be subjected to different kinds of damage during service. In order to study the influence of potential damage on its static behavior, a full-scale static test of the single-layer cable net is performed on a 4 × 4 grid model with the dimensions 4.85 m × 4.85 m. Three types of damage are investigated: failure of the connectors between horizontal and vertical cables, loss of prestress in the cable, and damage and failure of the cable anchorage end. The experimental results show that failure of connectors has little influence on the static behavior of the single-layer cable net. The change of nodal displacements induced by the cable prestress-loss does not exceed 15%. The cable anchorage failure affects significantly the local part of the structure, and the induced change of nodal displacements can be up to 36%. It is found that, the influence of damage is stronger on nodal displacements than on cable tension forces, and the intensity of this influence depends on the extent and location of damage. The influence decreases when the load increases. The research results in this paper provide some qualitative conclusions for safety evaluation of single-layer cable net structures and establish a foundation of the further study.