Full-Scale Experiment on Spherical Cast-Steel Joint of Long-Span Reticulated Shells

Through a full-scale experiment on the spherical cast-steel joint of reticulated shells of the Chongqing Olympic Stadium, stresses on the cast-steel joint were obtained. By combining the full-scale experimentwith a theoretical analysis, static behaviors of the cast-steel joint and the pathway of stress transfer were analyzed, and the differences between distributions of stresses on pipe shaft and spherical joint surfacewere pointed out. From the stress distribution obtained through the experiment, the security and load-bearing capacity of the spherical cast-steel joint were evaluated based on the Mises strength criterion. In addition, the ratio of stresses on pipe shaft and pipe foot, as amain factortomeasure the degree of stress concentration, was also analyzed. It was put forward that the distribution of stresses on a large spherical cast-steel joint can be improved by controlling the ratio of stresses.