Material and geometric nonlinear analysis of the tested models for a large
space frame is presented based on the 1D finite-element method. The analyti
cal results have been confirmed to agree sufficiently with the experimental
results up to a large deformed state. Members-coupled buckling of continuo
us chords and complicated collapsed states were simulated well. The analyti
cal results of the partial models have shown that coupled buckling between
several continuous chords appears to be asymmetric because of the differenc
e in axial forces allowed by adjacent members. Except for whole bucklinglik
e phenomena, it is possible to analyze a large and complicated space frame
with elastoplastic coupled buckling up to a large deformed state.