Analysis based evaluation for buckling loads of two-way elliptic paraboloidal single layer lattice domes

The present paper proposes an efficient method for evaluating elasto-plastic buckling loads of two-way elliptic paraboloidal lattice domes of single layer under vertical loads. The procedure is composed of the following steps: linear buckling analysis to find the generalized slenderness ratio of the specific member that is the most relevant to their loading capacities; the generalized slenderness ratio is applied to obtain the axial strength for the specific member, based on which elasto-plastic buckling load is evaluated. The comparison of the evaluated buckling loads with those obtained from FEM elasto-plastic buckling analyses proves that the procedure is valid and efficient enough to be applied in design practice. Based on safety factors, given in some recommendations, the allowable column strength is also proposed for proportioning the members of elliptic single layer paraboloidal lattice domes.