Computer-aided design of advanced nanocomposite stadium roofs under thermal stress conditions

This study presents a computer-aided design (CAD) methodology for complex nanocomposite roofs of stadiums that experience thermal stress. The proposed large-span roof structure is a multilayer smart composite system composed of a concrete core reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets and piezoelectric face layers that serve two functions: they act as distributed sensors and actuators for structural monitoring and vibration control. Different distributions of the graphene nanoplatelet throughout the thickness of the roof are examined to determine how they affect stiffness, thermal resistance, and dynamic behavior. The structural response of the roof is modeled using an advanced shear deformation theory that models transverse shear effects in thick roof panels without the use of shear correction factors. In order to evaluate realistic thermal loads on the roof, the fractional thermoelastic heat conduction model is utilized for simulating non-local thermal memory and the transient heat transfer characteristics due to varying temperature loads. Fully coupled thermo-electric-mechanical constitutive equations will be used to describe the interaction of the thermal, electrical, and mechanical fields of the smart roof system. The governing equations and boundary conditions are derived using Hamilton's principle and solved numerically via the differential quadrature method with Chebyshev-Gauss-Lobatto discretization. Parametric analyses are performed to study the influence of the distribution of graphene reinforcement, fractions of thermal parameters, thermally-induced loading and piezoelectric coupling on the vibration suppression, energy dissipation and stability of the structure. It was found that this new method of designing a nanocomposite roof using CAD is beneficial to increase the thermal durability, control vibrations and improve the overall structural performance for modern venues.