Analysis of the deflections, vibrations, and stability of leaning arches

In recent years, leaning arches have been used in frameworks for some tent structures. Various people have studied the behavior of a single vertical arch; however, only a few researchers have considered the three-dimensional behavior of arches and leaning arches. The objective of this thesis is to analyze the three-dimensional nonlinear behavior of leaning arches, particularly the load-deflection and load-frequency relationships, and to provide a basis for future design guidelines. In this study, vertical arches of different shapes and load combinations are analyzed in order to compare with previous results given by other researchers. Then, the behavior of single tilted arches with different tilt angles is considered. Finally, a leaning arch structure, with two arches inclined to each other and joined at the top, is considered. The load displacement and load-frequency relationships, as well as some buckling modes, are discussed and presented in both tabular and graphical formats.