Buckling and Seismic Response Performance of Free Form Lattice Shells

Several configurations of free form single layer lattice shells are created in this paper based on a form-finding method through optimizing stresses for different two load cases; one case considering dead load only and the other case considering both dead load and earthquake design forces. The method is to search a configuration with a minimum norm of stresses of all composing members. With respect to the created two types of free form lattice shells, imperfection sensitivity of buckling loads under dead load are studied for comparison, then followed by studies to see how differently such two types of free form lattice shells function effectively against dead load and earthquake loads. Finally based on nonlinear earthquake response analysis, importance is confirmed in design to avoid a fragile tendency in free form lattice shells due to limited consideration to dead load only in case to construct free form single layer lattice shells at site with high seismic activities.