August 4, 2020

Shell Structures Report

A.B.C.M

SARTHAK PATEL
ROLL NO -18
1
SEM-09
INTRODUCTION
Shell structure, in building construction, a thin, curved plate structure shaped to transmit
applied forces by compressive, tensile, and shear stresses that act in the plane of the
surface. They are usually constructed of concrete reinforced with steel mesh
(see shotcrete). Shell construction began in the 1920s; the shell emerged as a major long-
span concrete structure after World War II. Thin parabolic shell vaults stiffened with ribs
have been built with spans up to about 300 ft (90 m). More complex forms of concrete
shells have been made, including hyperbolic paraboloids, or saddle shapes, and
intersecting parabolic vaults less than 0.5 in. (1.25 cm) thick. Pioneering thin-shell
designers include Felix Candela and Pier Luigi Nervi.

Lattice and portal frame buildings consist of a structural frame which supports slab, roof
and wall covering. This frame serves purely as the structural support and provides
protection against weather. The roof and wall covering add nothing to the strength the
rigidity of structural frame.

A shell structure is a thin curved membrane or slab usually of reinforced concrete that
functions both as structure and covering.

The term “shell” is used to describe the structures which possess strenght and rigidity due
to its thin, natural and curved form such as shell of egg, a nut, human skull, and shell of
tortise.
SINGLE OR DOUBLE CURVATURE SHELLS

Single curvature shell: are curved on one linear axis and are a part of a cylinder or cone
in the form of barrel vaults and conoid shells.

Double curvature shell: are either part of a sphere, or a hyperboloid of revolution.

The terms single curvature and double curvature do not provide a precise
gemoetric distinction between the form of shell because a barrel vault is single
curvature but so is a dome.

The terms single and doulbe curvature are used to distinguish the comparitive
rigidity of the two forms and complexity of centring necessary to construct the shell
form.

BARREL VAULT DOME

HYPERBOLOID
PARABOLOID
CONOID
FORMS OF CURVATURE:

Surfaces of revolution are generated by the revolution of a plane curve, called the
meridional curve,
About an axis, called the axis of revolution. In the special case of cylindrical and
conical
Surfaces, the meridional curve consists of a line segment.

E.G. : Cylinders, cones, spherical or elliptical domes,

Hyperboloids of revolution, toroids.

Surfaces of translation are generated by sliding a plane curve along another plane curve,
while
Keeping the orientation of the sliding curve constant.

The latter curve, on which the original curve slides, is called the generator of the surface.

In the special case in which the generator is a straight line, the resulting surface is
called a cylindrical surface.
FORMS OF CURVATURE:

If two parabolas are similar, the surface becomes a surface of revolution, called paraboloid
of
Revolution.

Ruled surfaces are generated by sliding each end of a straight line on their own generating
curve. These lines are not necessarily at right angle to the planes containing the end
curves.

Cooling tower, generated by straight lines Conoid, generated by straight line traveling along another straight line
gould 1988 at one end and curved line at other end. Joedicke 1963
 FORMS OF CURVATURE:

SHELLS

SINGLY CURVED DOUBLY CURVED

(DEVELOPABLE SHELLS) (NON DEVELOPABLE SHELLS)

SURFACES OF SURFACES OF SYNCLASTIC ANTYNCLASTIC

REVOLUTION TRANSLATION/
RULED SURFACE
CIRCULAR CYLINDER
SURFACES OF SURFACES OF
(BARREL) CIRCULAR OR
REVOLUTION TRANSLATION/
NON CIRCULAR CYLINDER
RULED SURFACE
CONES
CONES HYPERBOLOIDS OF
REVOLUTION OF
SURFACES OF SURFACES OF ONE SHEET
REVOLUTION TRANSLATION/
RULED SURFACE
HYPERBOLIC
CIRCULAR DOMES ELLIPTIC PARABOLOIDS
PARABOLOIDS
ELLIPSOID OF
REVOLUTION CONOIDS
PARABOLOIDS OF
PARABOLOIDS OF
REVOLUTION HYPERBOLOIDS OF
REVOLUTION REVOLUTION OF
ONE SHEET
FORMS OF CURVATURE:

Surfaces with double curvature cannot be developed, while those with single curvature can
be developed.

DEVELOPED NONDEVELOPED

In other words, surfaces with positive and negative gaussian curvature (i.E. Synclastic and
anticlastic surfaces) cannot be developed, while those with zero gaussian curvature can be
developed.

(A) POSITIVE GAUSSIAN (B) ZERO GAUSSIAN (C) NEGATIVE GAUSSIAN

FORMS OF CURVATURE:
Developable surfaces (singly curved) :
Developable surface is a surface that can be unrolled onto a flat plane without tearing or
stretching it.

It is formed by bending a flat plane, the most typical shape of a developable shell is a
barrel, and a barrel shell is curved only in one direction.

Barrel :

Arch action & beam action together make a

barrel. There are mainly two types of barrel :
-Long barrels , arch action is prominent
-Short barrels, beam action is prominent

Structural behavior of short barrel shells:

These shells are typically supported at the

corners and can behave in one or a combination
of the following ways:

Structural behavior of long barrel shells:

These are typically supported at the corners

and behave structurally as a large beam.
FORMS OF CURVATURE:

Non-developable surfaces (doubly curved) :

E.G., Sphere or hyperbolic paraboloid.
They are mainly classified as : 1) synclastic 2) anticlastic

Synclastic shells:
These shells are doubly curved
And have a similar curvature in each direction. E.G. Domes

A dome is a good example of a synclastic shell, it is doubly curved and can be formed
by rotating a curved line around an axis.
A dome can be split up into two different directions; vertical sections separated by
longitudinal arch lines (also called meridians), and horizontal sections separated by
hoops or parallels.

Structural behavior :
Similar to arches under a uniform loading the dome is under compression everywhere, and
the stresses act along the arch and hoop lines.

Anticlastic shells : are doubly curved but each of the two curves have

The opposite direction to the other. E.G. Saddle points.

Conoids, hyperbolic paraboloid and hyperboloids are all considered to the anticlastic
shell because they are saddled shape with different curvature in each direction and
straight lines can be drawn of the surface.

Conoids: formed by moving a one end of a straight line along a curved path and the
other along a straight path.

Hyperboloids: formed by rotating a straight line around a vertical axis.

Tension tie

Fig. (A) represents a doubly curved shell with no axis of symmetry, shows a spherical
dome supported on a wall.

Whenever the shells are supported vertically at their edges, a tension tie is required around
the perimeter at the intersection of the dome and the wall.

However, it is important to note that the tie will be funicular for any shape of either the plan
or
Elevation.

Fig. (B) the shell has positive curvature and continuous vertical
support.

The support may be a continuous wall or stiff beams between adequately spaced
columns. It is interesting that the straight parts of the tie in fig. (C) do not require ties
across the building.

The thrusts are taken by shear forces through the width of the shell, and only tension
forces exist in the tie.
 Folded Plate

• The distinguishing feature of the folded plate is the ease in forming plane surfaces. A
folded plate may be formed for about the same cost as a horizontal slab and has much
less steel and concrete for the same spans.

• The principle components in a folded plate structure consist of :

1) The inclined plates
2) Edge plates which must be used to stiffen the wide plates
3) Stiffeners to carry the loads to the supports and to hold the plates in line
4) Columns to support the structure in the air.

CANOPIES
Z SHELL

TAPERED FOLDED PLATES

THREE SEGMENT FOLDED PLATE

FOLDED PLATE TRUSS

 Barrel Vaults

Barrel vaults are perhaps the most useful of the shell structures because they can span upt
o 150 feet with a minimum of material. They are very efficient structures because the use
the arch form to reduce stresses and thicknesses in the transverse direction.

MULTIPLE BARRELS -
CORRUGATED CURVES UNSTIFFENED EDGES OUTSIDE STIFFENERS THE LAZY S

The barrel vault is the most straight forward single curvature shell construction. It is the
part of a cylinder or barrel with same curvaturealong its length.

Any number of continuous barrels or continuous spans are possible except that eventually
provision is made for the expansion of the joints in a large structures.

The barrel vaults are used as parking, market place, assembly hall ,etc.

Types of barrel vaults

1.Short span barrel vaults
2.Long span barrel vaults
Barrel Vaults

Short span barrel vault

Short span barrel vaults are those in which span is shorter than its width. It is used for the
width of the arch ribs between which the barrel vault span.

Long span barrel vault

Long span barrel vaults are those in which span is larger than its width.
Strength of the structure lies at the right angles
To the curvature to that span is longitudinal to the curvature.

Usual span of the longitudinal barrel vault is from 12-30 m with its width being about 1/2
the span and rise is 1/5 of the width.

To cover larger areas multibay ,multi span roofs can be used where the roof is extended
across the width of the vault as a multibay .
ADVANTAGES AND DIS-ADVANTAGES OF SHELLS:
1.Advantages
2.Very light form of construction. To span 30.0 m shell thickness required is 60mm
3.Dead load can be reduced economizing foundation and supporting system
4.They further take advantage of the fact that arch shapes can span longer
5.Flat shapes by choosing certain arched shapes
6.Esthetically it looks good over other forms of construction

Dis-advantages:
1.Shuttering problem
2.Greater accuracy in formwork is required
3.Good labour and supervision necessary
4.Rise of roof may be a disadvantage
CASE STUDY- Los Manantiales

With the design for Los Manantiales, Felix Candela’s experimental form finding gave rise
to an efficient, elegant, and enduring work of structural art. Comprised of four
intersecting hypars, a strikingly thin roof surface creates a dramatic dining space. Built as
Candela was establishing an international reputation as the foremost shell building, he
demonstrated to the world his masterful combination of artistry and technical virtuoso.

Los Manantiales was created as Candela’s mastery thin-shell concrete construction was
solidifying. Initially conceived for another client on a different site, the structure found
realization as a replacement for a wooden restaurant alongside a floating gardens filled
canal in the Xochimilco area of Mexico City.
CASE STUDY- Los Manantiales

Candela’s fascination with thin-shell structures was piqued during his studies at la
escuela de arquitectura de madrid. An extraordinary athlete and facile student, he
supplemented his formal training with a independent reading on techniques for analysis of
form.
His academic career was interrupted when the spanish civil war erupted, but his
experiences restoring buildings for military use gave him first hand exposure to
construction techniques. Candela’s later practice merged theoretical studies with careful
consideration of building processes.

During the war Candela was imprisoned, but given the opportunity to emigrate
to Mexico as an exile. There, concrete was an increasingly popular building
material that represented modernization, efficiency, and a break from the past
for a people who had just gotten through their own political upheaval
CASE STUDY- Los Manantiales

Candela began building thin shell structures not for clients but as full scale experiments.
Although he constructed some cylindrical forms, Candela working intensely with
hyperbolic paraboloids, or hypars. Eschewing the trend toward reliance on complex
mathematics, Candela developed forms where stresses could be determined with simple
equations. A form Candela called “umbrellas,” created by joining four straight edge
hypars, were an efficient way to cover large spaces such as markets and warehouses. His
construction of the Cosmic Rays Laboratory utilized hypars to add stiffness and minimize
material thickness, and received international acclaim.
The iconic form of Los Manantiales was derived through continued geometric
investigation. Called “La Flor” (The Flower) by townspeople, a continuous interior space
is enclosed by an singular sculptural surface. Light spills through the glass apertures that
infill each vault, highlighting the roof form.
CASE STUDY- Los Manantiales

The roof is a circular array of four curved-edge hypar saddles that intersect at the
center point, resulting in an eight-sided groined vault. The plan is radially
symmetric with a maximum diameter of 139 feet. Groins spanning 106 feet
between supports. Trimmed at the perimeter to form a canted parabolic
overhang, the shell simultaneously rises up and out at each undulation. The
force paths from these overhangs act in the opposite direction from forces along
the arched groin, reducing outward thrust.
The largest membrane forces are carried along the intersections between the
forms, called the groins. This areas are thickened by creating hidden steel
reinforced “V” beams. The rest of the structure has minimal reinforcing to
address creep and temperature effects, but essentially works entirely in
compression. The symmetrical plan and innovative use of “V” beams allows
edges free of stiffening beams, revealing the radical thickness of the 4cm (1 ½”)
shell.
A section through Los Manantiales shows the parabolic arch along the groins and
the inverted arch through the highpoint of each vault.
CASE STUDY- Los Manantiales

Narrow boards were used as formwork, following the straight-line generator that forms the
hypar surface. Steel reinforcing and a layer of cement grout (to create a smooth inner
surface) underlie concrete applied one bucket at a time by laborers.
Candela inverted his umbrella form for the footings, a material saving strategy to
distribute the weight of the structure onto the poor quality soil of Mexico City. Five 1”
diameter steel tie-bars link adjacent footings and resist lateral thrust. Candela softened the
form at the intersection of the hypars, creating a curve and giving the appearance of a
continuous form.
Los Manantiales is still operated as a restaurant today, but the picturesque setting present
at the time of construction has changed. Additional structures and a fence block views of
the structure. Piecemeal modifications, such as the application of a red waterproofing
layer and modifications at the supports blunt the clarity of form initially present. Despite
this, the shell is still structurally intact and a majestic presence in Xochimilco.
CASE STUDY- Los Manantiales
CASE STUDY- Los Manantiales