Structural analysis of greenhouses: A case study in Turkey

This study was carried out to determine the structural and functional characteristics of the greenhouses in greenhouse enterprises of Turkey. Greenhouse enterprises are widely common along the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean cost lines. Marmara region was selected as the study area since it is the pioneering region and has large areas allocated to greenhouses, and has various greenhouse types. Information about greenhouse types, material properties, placement, and arrangement of greenhouses in the study area was gathered by a questionnaire; then greenhouses in enterprises were divided into groups based on cover material, load bearing materials and directional placement. A total of four types of greenhouse with the most economic cross-section, one from each group, were selected and load acting on structural members of greenhouses were calculated. Loads acting on beams of each greenhouse were analysed by Force Method and Moment Distribution Method. The results obtained were compared statistically to determine the best methodology for structural analysis of greenhouses. As a result, no statistical difference was found between moments and shear forces obtained from both methods. However, a difference occurred based on greenhouse types and it was determined that the values obtained for trussed block greenhouse were higher than the other ones.