Detection of Pretension Loss of Cable-Net Structures

Due to aesthetic shapes, light weight and flexibility, cable-net structures have been widely used as roofs for venues where many people assemble, such as sports stadiums/arenas and gymnasiums. Failure of this type of structure may endanger the safety of many people. This type of structure consists of a separate grid of structural cables supporting a nonstructural weather shield. It is well known that the stiffness of this type of structure is established by pretension in the cables. Part of the pretension in the cables will be lost as time evolves. The detection of the pretension loss in cables of cable-stayed bridges has been widely studied. However, the detection of pretension loss in cables of cable-net structures has been lacking. In this study, the dynamic and static properties of cable-net structures will be investigated and the effectiveness of two damage detection approaches in detecting the pretension loss in cable-net structures will be investigated.