Stability Study of Single‐Layer Spherical Shell Roof Under Nonuniformly Distributed Snow Load

ABSTRACT After snowfall, the snow load distribution on building roofs is generally nonuniform, and most cases of large‐span structural collapse are related to nonuniform load. The existing regulations provide limited snow distribution coefficients for different roofs, and with the diversification of building forms, they can no longer meet the current calculation requirements for roof snow loads. This article conducts numerical simulations of wind‐induced snow drift on a spherical shell roof, which rise‐span ratio is 1/5. It is found that the friction velocity of the roof is distributed in a band shape and is higher in the windward direction, whereas the friction velocity on the leeward side is lower, which increases the possibility of snow accumulation. Based on this, a simplified snow load distribution model is proposed to improve the economic efficiency of the project. Based on the above research, the stability analysis of K6 single‐layer Kevitt mesh shell was carried out using ABAQUS finite element software. The results show that under uniformly distributed load conditions, the buckling modes of the structure are symmetrical, whereas under nonuniform snow load conditions, the first mode deforms more on the side with higher load, and the position of structural deformation is closer to the edge; when the snow cover range is the same, the larger the extreme snow load, the more unfavorable it is for structural stability; when the extreme snow load is the same, the smaller the snow coverage, the more unfavorable the initial defect is for structural stability.