Tripoli university
Facility of engineering
Civil Engineering Department
Contents
Background........................................................... 3
Technical data....................................................... 3
Introduction.......................................................... 4
Description of a structure..................................... 5
The roof................................................................. 6
Construction of the roof........................................ 8
Erection............................................................... 10
Conclusion........................................................... 11
References.......................................................... 12
Background
2
Name of structure
Palafolls sports hall
Location of structure
Spain
Completed
November 1991
Architect
Arata Isozaki
Structural engineer
Professor Dr. J. Martínez-Calzón, Estudio de
Ingeniería, Madrid
Technical data
Area 1,925 m2
Maximum span 70 m
Depth 1.125 m
Weight 33 kg/m2
PALAFOLLS SPORTS HALL
3
Introduction
It’s situated between the city of Barcelona and Spain's Costa
Brava, Palafolls in a small town where a sports hall,
constructed in 1991. It has a space grid roof of striking form.
Roof structure is an example that contradicts the commonly
held perception that space grids are appropriate only for
planar roofs of simple rectangular plan form. Its shape was
derived from a simple scale working model proposed by the
project's architect Arata Isozaki, who also designed the Sant
Jordi Sports Palace for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. In
fact, the roof in Palafolls bears some resemblance to Isozaki's
original proposal for the larger Barcelona roof.
(Simple scale working model of PALAFOLLS SPORTS HALL,
proposed by the project's architect Arata Isozaki)
Description of a structure
The scheme as a whole 70m diameter circular plan
4
Half of this is an open-air sports facility
whilst the remainder is a multi-use pavilion
semi-circular in plan, covered by a double-layer,
three- way space truss
The upper and lower surfaces of the double-layer
grid were generated from a triangular mesh.
The distance between the top and bottom grids
(only 1.125 m).
The roof
The roof is an intricate three-dimensionally curved
surface that is divided into three principal zones.
5
1. Main sports hall area
At the centre, covering the main sports hall area,
there is a spheroidal dome area, external radius
24.35m, bordered on two sides by the vertical
faces of the façade and main roof window parallel
to it.
2. Toroidal area
At a lower level a toroidal area, 24.75m radius in
plan and 12.74m radius in section, surrounds the
central dome and covers the ancillary accommodation.
3. Pseudo-conical area
A pseudo-conical area forms a transition between
these two main parts
Internally, the roof is lined with timber decking
which is fixed to timber purlins spanning between
the nodes of the space grid. The wave-form grid
6
contrasts with the warm shades of timber roof
lining, whilst the segment window introduces
diffused light to the centre of the sports hall.
Externally, the roof is covered with standing seam
metal decking
Construction of the roof
Construction of the roof used the ORTZ space truss
system formed from spherical nodes and tubular
bars.
7
For a roof of this size the grid, therefore, required
an abnormally large number of spherical nodes
joint
in the top layer 1691
in the bottom layer 1607
and a total of 14429 members.
Tubular steel bars varying between 40.2 and
115.7mm in diameter were used to connect the
spherical nodes of between 60 and 210mm in
diameter.
In total the space truss weighs 64 tonnes, around
33 kg/m2 overall, of which approximately 17 per
cent results from the weight of the nodes
8
maximum vertical deflection at symmetrical points
on the structure agreed closely with the predicted
value of 21mm
Erection
The CAD-CAM computerized design and manufacturing
system employed by LANIK S.A. of San Sebastián,
Spain, ensured that site assembly was straightforward
9
Erection was facilitated by using vertical props at
predetermined nodes to receive previously assembled
roof segments. (Erection of pre-assembled roof sections)
(Erection of pre-assembled roof sections)
(Vertical props)
On completion of the space truss structure, load was
transferred to the permanent supports by gradually
lowering the props using the threaded spindles at their
bases.
Conclusion
Area of the structure is 1,925 m2
Structure semi-circular in plane, covered by a
double-layer, three- way space truss
10
distance between the top and bottom grids (only
1.125 m)
The upper and lower surfaces generated from a
triangular mesh
The roof is divided into three principal zones
Main sports hall area
Toroidal area
Pseudo-conical area
Construction of the roof used the ORTZ system
References
11
[Link]
en/proyect/palafolls-sports-arena/
[Link]
m/presentation/432367548/Palafolls-Sports-Hall
Space Grid Structures,
by John Chilton
12