Sheet1

BUCKLING ANALYSIS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE DOMES

A spreadsheet written by Nanette South Clark
(Calculations according to theory in Buckling of Shells for Engineers by L. Kollar and E. Dulacska.)
Note: The accuracy of the results obtained using this spreadsheet is in no way guaranteed.
Please verify all calculations. If you find an error or have a suggestion for improvement,
please E-mail me at nan@monolithic.com. Thank you!
The deformation properties of the material of reinforced concrete shells which are necessary for
buckling analysis cannot be defined as simply as for other materials, because the deformation
depends on the cracks, the reinforcement, and the creep of the concrete as well, so that it
becomes a nonlinear function of the load.*
On the whole, reinforced concrete differs from elastic homogeneous material in the following ways*:
1. The compressed concrete zone creeps;
2. The concrete and the reinforcement behave elasto-plastically;
3. The tension zone of the concrete cracks, the stiffness of the cross section drops, and the
position, quantity and quality of the reinforcement plays an important role.
Definitions of Subscripts:
c=
concrete
rc =
reinforced concrete
st =
steel
crack =
cracked (cross section)
uncr =
uncracked (cross section)
hom =
refers to the uncracked, unreinforced (homogeneous) concrete cross section
considered as completely elastic, or to quantities computed with such a cross
section
0=
refers to the beginning of some process, e.g. to the initial value of the modulus of
elasticity valid for the beginning of the loading process; or, in connection with , it
refers to the initial zero value of the eccentricity
sh or l =
denotes whether the value of the deformation modulus is valid for short-term or
long-term loading
el =
computed with an elastic material model
pl =
computed with a plastic material model; by the side of the subscript cr it denotes
the plastic critical load, while standing alone it denotes the compressive force
causing plastification of the entire cross section when acting with the initial
eccentricity.

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BUCKLING ANALYSIS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE DOMES

A spreadsheet written by Nanette South Clark
(Calculations according to theory in Buckling of Shells for Engineers by L. Kollar and E. Dulacska
Note: The accuracy of the results obtained using this spreadsheet is in no way guaranteed.
Please verify all calculations. If you find an error or have a suggestion for improvement,
please E-mail me at nan@monolithic.com. Thank you!
Geometry
Note: The radius of curvature calculation is for a spherical dome.
(Otherwise enter pre-calculated Radius of Curvature.)
Diameter =
144.00 ft
Diameter =
Height =
29.00 ft
Height =
Radius of Curvature =
103.87931 ft
Radius of Curvature =
Loads
Dead Load =
Added Dead Load =
Live Load =

43891.2
8839.2
31662.41379

12.50 pounds per inch thick of concrete

10.00 psf
40.00 psf

Characteristics of the reinforcing

Rebar Size =
Area of Rebar =
Diameter of Rebar =
Est =
Est =

3
71.00000 mm2
9.50000 mm
29000000.00000 psi
199948.04000 N/mm2

# of Layers of Rebar =
(1 or 2)
Ast (per 1 ft) =

71
Rebar Spacing
12
Rebar Spacing
304.8
Note: These calculations are for symmetric reinforcement

Deformation Characteristics of the concrete

(Calculations valid for temperatures up to 200 C or 392 F because at higher temperatures the concrete disintegrates rapidly.
Thickness of Concrete =
Thickness of Concrete =
Strength of Concrete =
Strength of Concrete =
=
Ec,0 =
c =
Ec =

2.50000 in
63.50000 mm
4000.00000 psi
27.57904 N/mm2
0.16700
35624.26959 N/mm2
1.11884

Initial Modulus of Elasticity of Concrete

Creep Factor

16813.08680 N/mm2

Revised Modulus of Deformation of Concrete to include creep

c =

0.00350

Creep of Concrete

c=

0.67000

c=1.00 for cylindrical shells; c=0.67 for domes; c=0.5 for hyper

a=

a represents the influence of the accuracy of the erection meth

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a = 1 for reinforced concrete shells with rigid formwork, while fo

Dimensions of Reinforced Concrete Shells
For the calculation of the elastic critical loads of shells we may use the design dimensions, while for the calculation of the
load ppl causing plastic failure we may use the design dimensions reduced by 10mm (thicknesses).
The Shell Buckling Rigidity Characteristic of the Reinforced Concrete Cross Section
Shell Buckling Rigidity Characteristic: K = sqrt(BT)
B = Bending stiffness of the shell cross section
T = Tensile stiffness of the shell cross section
(Assumptions: Cracked tensile zone & linearly elastic behavior.)
Rigidity Characteristics of uncracked, unreinforced concrete cross section (neglecting Poisson's ratio):
B(uncr)c = EcIc = Ec * (t3/12)
T(uncr)c = EcAc = Ec * t
K(uncr)c = sqrt(B(uncr)c*T(uncr)c) = Ec * (t2/sqrt(12))
B(uncr)c =
T(uncr)c =
K(uncr)c =

358746262.26570
1067631.01176
19570606.40219

Rigidity Characteristics of uncracked, reinforced concrete cross section (neglecting Poisson's ratio):
n = Est/Ec
B(uncr)rc = (Ec * (t3/12))*(1 + 3n*(1-2)2)
T(uncr)rc = (Ec * t) * (1+n)
where = Ast/Ac is the ratio of reinforcement area in one direction to the cross sectional area
And = h'/t is the ratio of the concrete thickness covering the reinforcement to the height of the cross section.
n=
=
=
B(uncr)rc =
T(uncr)rc =

11.89241
0.00367
0.50000
358746262.26570
1114206.83473

Ast/2

h'=t

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(1-2)t

h'=t

Ast/2

K(uncr)rc = sqrt(B(uncr)rc*T(uncr)rc) = 0 * K(uncr)c

Where 0 = sqrt((1+n)*(1+3n(1-2)2))
0 =

1.02158

K(uncr)rc =

19992937.18668

Rigidity Characteristics of cracked, reinforced concrete cross section (neglecting Poisson's ratio):
If the cross section cracks, its rigidity characteristics decrease. The degree of decrease depends on the eccentricity
of the compressive force. When the eccentricity reaches the value of half the height of the cross section
rigidity characteristics closely approximate the values:
B(crack)rc = EcI(crack)rc = (Ect3/12)*(43 + 6n(1 + 22 + 22 2 - 2))
T(crack)rc = EcA(crack)rc = Ect( + 2)
Where = x / t

n compr

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Stresses in a cracked reinforced concrete shell cross section.

For symmentric reinforcement:
= x / t = n * [sqrt(1 + 1/n) 1]
=

0.16975

Now,
K(crack)rc = * K(uncr)c
Where = sqrt[ 12(n + )*{(3 / 3) + [n/2*(1 + 22 + 22 2 - 2)]}]
=
K(crack)rc =

0.12790
2503017.84029

Rigidity Characteristics of cracked, unreinforced concrete cross section (neglecting Poisson's ratio):
If there is no reinforcement, then the tensile stresses disappear after cracking. The compressive
forces alone have to counterbalance the bending moment acting on the cross section. Thus, the
unreinforced concrete cross section is able to take bending moment only if the compressive force
acts inside the cross section.
Shrinkage and variation of temperature cause cracks in the concrete even without external
forces. Hence, we may assume that from the beginning of the loading process no tensile
stresses arise in the cross section. By so doing, we remain on the safe side.
K(crack)c = Ec*sqrt(13.5*e*((t/2)-e)3)
Assume e = cw for the eccentricity e.
c = 0.67 for domes
w = imperfection amplitude
w0,accid = 0.05t + [(R/2000) * a / (((R/t)/1000)+(1000/(R/t)))]
Empirical Formula for the accidental imperfection
where, a represents the influence of the accuracy of the erection method. For example, we can assume
a = 1 for reinforced concrete shells with rigid formwork, while for sliding shuttering we can take a = 6.
R = Radius of Curvature
w0,accid =

15.8189603936 mm

Amplitude of accidental imperfection

e0,design =

10.5987034637 mm

Design eccentricity

e0/t =
K(crack)c =

0.166908716

Ratio used in calculations below

19563484.06853

Determination of the Upper Critical Loads of Reinforced Concrete Shells

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Upper critical load of the elastic reinforced concrete shell:
p(upper)cr,el,rc = rc *p(lin,uncr)cr,c
stands for the ratio of the upper critical load to the linear one, ( = p(upper) cr / p(lin)cr), while the kind of upper
critical load is indicated by subscripts. (Thus the values related to homogeneous, concrete, and reinforced
concrete shells are denoted by hom, c, and rc, respectively).
c = (1 - (2e0/t))3(1+(w0/e0))/2
c =

0.21900

hom = 1 / (1 + (A*(w0/t)))
The value of A is different for the various shell types. For a radially compressed sphere A=6.0.
A=
6.00000
hom =
0.40085
rc [e0/t > 0.5] = * hom
rc [e0/t = 0] = (1 + 0)/2
rc [e0/t 0.5] = ((1 + 0)/2 * c ) + ( *(hom - c ))
rc =

0.24462

The critical value of the radial pressure:

p(lin)cr, hom = (1.16/sqrt(1-2)))*E*(t2/R2)
p(lin)cr, hom =
0.07956 N/mm2
p(upper)cr,rc = rc *p(lin)cr,hom
p(upper)cr,rc =
p(upper)cr,rc =

0.01946 N/mm2
406.48845 psf

Upper critical load of the plastic reinforced concrete shell

Taking into consideration all the properties of reinforced concrete shells (cracking,
reinforcement, creep and plasticity) can be computed from the following formula:
p(upper)cr,pl,rc = *p(upper)cr,el,rc
= (ppl / p(upper)cr,el) * sqrt ( * (ppl / P(upper)cr,el)2 + 1) - [() * (ppl / p(upper)cr,el)2]
Compute the plastic failure load neglecting the reinforcement, assuming a 10 mm
tolerance in the thickness and considering only that part of the concrete cross section
on which the load is acting centrally:
ppl (2*prism*t / R)*[1 (2*e0 / t)]

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ppl

0.05627 N/mm2

0.90256

p(upper)cr,pl,rc
p(upper)cr,rc =

0.01757 N/mm2
366.87877 psf

The safety factor

At the top of the shell the load perpendicular to the shell surface consists of the shell's own
weight and the live load (i.e. snow):
pactual =

81.25000 psf

The safety factor is: k = p(upper)pl,cr,rc / pactual

k=

4.51543

Note: The critical loads of several erected large reinforced concrete domes were determined in
Kollar and Dulacska's book The data showed that most structures have a safety factor greater
than two. Two domes exhibited a safety factor somewhat inferior to two, and one showed a
safety factor inferior to one. This latter structure, in fact, collapsed. On the whole, they assert,
a safety factor between 2.5 and 3.5 seems to be realistic for shells with decreasing post-buckling
load bearing capacity.

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mm
mm
mm

Rebar Standard Dimensions

Bar Size
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
14
18

in. O.C.
mm. O.C.
ns are for symmetric reinforcement.

res the concrete disintegrates rapidly.)

y of Concrete

rmation of Concrete to include creep of concrete

ls; c=0.67 for domes; c=0.5 for hyperbolic shells

e of the accuracy of the erection method.

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Area (mm2)
71
129
200
284
387
510
645
819
1006
1452
2581

Diameter (mm)
9.5
12.7
15.9
19.1
22.2
25.4
28.7
32.3
35.8
43
57.3

Sheet2

ete shells with rigid formwork, while for sliding shuttering we can take a = 6.

ns, while for the calculation of the

oisson's ratio):

t of the cross section.

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depends on the eccentricity

of the cross section, the

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accidental imperfection
we can assume

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while the kind of upper

ete, and reinforced

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