SHELL STRUCTURE
• Shell is a thin curved membrane or slab usually made of reinforced
concrete that functions both as structure & covering.
• A shell with one curved surface is known as a vault (single curvature).
• A shell with doubly curved surface is known as a dome (double
curvature).
• Shell structures can be made of materials such as: Reinforced thin-
shell concrete, Glass, Steel, Plastic.
1. Reinforced concrete thin-shell
The material most suited for construction of shell structure is concrete
because it is a highly plastic in nature
• Can take up any shape using formwork.
• Reinforcement bars can readily be bent to follow the curvature of
shells.
• Once the concrete has hardened the R.C.C membrane or slab acts as
a strong, rigid shell which serves as both structure and covering to the
building.
Single Curvature
1. BARREL VAULT
The barrel vault is the most straight forward single curvature shell
construction, with same curvature along its length.
It is the part of a cylinder or barrel, perhaps the most useful of the shell
structures because they can span up to 45 m with a minimum of
material.
First used by Romans
Groin vault is formed when two barrel vaults intersect.
1. Barrel Vault Types
Components of barrel vault
Types of Barrel Vault based on span
• Short span barrel vaults are
those in which span is shorter than
its width.
•Long span barrel vault
•The length of the vault (along the
longitudinal axis) is greater than its arch
span.
•Recommended length 12-30 m with its
width being about 1/2 the length and rise is
1/5 of the span.
•Concrete shell is from 57 to 75mm thick
Structural behaviour
exert lateral thrust
along their span.
Shells
Edge beams
• Due to self weight and imposed load the thin shell will tend to spread and
its curvature flatten out.
• To resist, RCC edge beams may be cast as up stand or dropped beam
or partially as both.
• Upstand beam is used to form drainage channel for rain water.
• In multi-bay structures, spreading of the vaults is largely transmitted to
the adjacent shells, so Down stand beam and feather valley beam is
used.
Components of barrel vault
Multiple bay RCC Barrel vault
Extended Gutter
Shells
Stiffening beams or arches
• To improve structure stability, stiffening beams or arches are cast
integrally with the shell.
• Downstand stiffening RCC beam is most efficient because of its
depth, but this interrupts the line of soffit of vaults and also gives
less clear height
• The disadvantage of upstand beam or arches is that it breaks up the
line of roof.
Shells
Roof-lights
• Top light can be provided by deck light, fixed to an upstand curb cast
integrally with the shell.
• The deck light can be continuous or formed as individual lights.
• Advantage of the shell is that its concave soffit reflects and helps to
disperse light over area below.
Expansion Joints
• The change in temperature causes the Expansion and contraction in
concrete structures, which causes the structures to deform or collapse
• To limit this continuous expansion joints are formed at the interval of
about 30m along the Span and across the width of the multi-bay vault
roofs.
North light reinforced
concrete barrel vault
Slope: 60° to 80°
Span: 11m to 15m
Kimbell Art Gallery
USA
Single Curvature
2. FOLDED PLATE
• Folded plates are assemblies of flat plates or slabs inclined in different
directions and rigidly join along the longitudinal edges that can carry
loads without the need for additional supporting beams along the
mutual edges.
• The basic design concept is to bend or fold a flat slab so that the roof
will behave as a beam spanning in the direction of the fold.
• It is commonly used for large-span roofs:
Auditoriums, hangars, factories, exhibition halls.
Components of folded plate
Can be made from: Wood, steel aluminium, RCC, plastic, glass
Structural behaviour
DOUBLE CURVATURE SHELL
• Domes
• Hyperbolic paraboloid
• Conoids
Pantheon
USA
1. DOMES
• Dome - thin shell generated by revolution of a regular curve(arch)
about its axis.
• Shape depends on type of curve revoluting around the axis
• when segment revolves around vertical axis - spherical
dome . Common dome
• revolution of a right angled triangle about vertical axis -
conical dome
• revolution of elliptical curve about one of its axis - elliptical
dome
Types of Domes
Structural behaviour
Steel Dome
Umbrella dome
Onion dome
The Desert Dome
USA
Geodesic dome
2. Hyperbolic Paraboloid
• Surface is described as a hyperbolic paraboloid because it has
parabolic and hyperbolic cross-sections along longitudinal and
transverse direction
• Hyperbolic paraboloid shells are a type of structural shell with a
unique shape formed by the intersection of two sets of straight
lines.
•They have a doubly
curved surface that
resembles a saddle
• The double curvature allows the
shell to distribute loads efficiently
and provides structural stability.
• Used in architecture for roofing
canopies and sculptural elements.
3. Conoid
• A conoid is a ruled surface structure formed by moving one
end of a straight line along a curved path and the other along
a straight path.
• Can be a shallow
curved or a steeply
curved in which Conoids :
north light glazing is
fixed
RCC Conoid
Advantages of Shell Roofs
• Large Spans
• Aesthetics and Visual Appeal:
• Unique architectural expression
• Structural Efficiency:
• Efficient use of materials
• Reduced structural weight compared to traditional roofs
• Natural Lighting and Ventilation:
• Integration of skylights and glazed openings
• Promotion of natural light and airflow
• Structural Integrity:
• Strength and stability against various force
Disdvantages of Shell Roofs
• Shuttering Problem. Great accuracy in formwork is
required
• Good labor and supervision is necessary
• Cost (more expensive than portal frame for same area
covered)
• Rise of roof may be disadvantage
Case Study Presentation
• Group of 6 students: 5 mins presentation, 10 slides only
Group A:
Steel Portal Frame : Balaju Industrial Estate, Rato Bangla School
Group B:
Barrel vault : Taragaon Museum, Tushal
THANK YOU