- #1
Daniel Sellers
- 117
- 17
Suppose we have a dome of fabric supported by radial rigid beams. The pressure (air or water pressure) outside the dome is significantly higher than inside the dome (perhaps the inside is even at vacuum).
Because the material is fabric (non rigid) the compressive force from the higher pressure outside will cause a tensile stress within the fabric (please feel to correct me if there's anything wrong with the statement.
Assuming the fabric is strong enough to resist tearing, and the supports underneath are strong enough not to collapse, is the fabric under more stress at or around the contact area where the fabric meets the supports? or would the tension be evenly distributed throughout the fabric?
Intuitively it seems like the area of contact between fabric and support would be under more stress because it is being stretched over a rigid object, but if that is the case then how can we quantify the additional stress at the support?
Emphasis on the "how do we quantify" part of the question. I am willing to fallow to any links or reading recommendations that might lead me to a way to answer this question, but a simple 'yes there will be more stress there' is not what I'm looking for.
Because the material is fabric (non rigid) the compressive force from the higher pressure outside will cause a tensile stress within the fabric (please feel to correct me if there's anything wrong with the statement.
Assuming the fabric is strong enough to resist tearing, and the supports underneath are strong enough not to collapse, is the fabric under more stress at or around the contact area where the fabric meets the supports? or would the tension be evenly distributed throughout the fabric?
Intuitively it seems like the area of contact between fabric and support would be under more stress because it is being stretched over a rigid object, but if that is the case then how can we quantify the additional stress at the support?
Emphasis on the "how do we quantify" part of the question. I am willing to fallow to any links or reading recommendations that might lead me to a way to answer this question, but a simple 'yes there will be more stress there' is not what I'm looking for.