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INTRODUCTION SINGLE OR DOUBLE CURVATURE SHELLS

LATTICE AND PORTAL FRAME BUILDINGS CONSIST OF A STRUCTURAL FRAME WHICH SUPPORTS SLAB, ROOF AND WALL SINGLE CURVATURE SHELL: ARE CURVED ON ONE LINEAR AXIS AND ARE A PART OF A CYLINDER OR CONE IN THE FORM OF
COVERING. THIS FRAME SERVES PURELY AS THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT AND PROVIDES PROTECTION AGAINST WEATHER. BARREL VAULTS AND CONOID SHELLS.
THE ROOF AND WALL COVERING ADD NOTHING TO THE STRENGTH THE RIGIDITY OF STRUCTURAL FRAME.
DOUBLE CURVATURE SHELL: ARE EITHER PART OF A SPHERE, OR A HYPERBOLOID OF REVOLUTION.
A SHELL STRUCTURE IS A THIN CURVED MEMBRANE OR SLAB USUALLY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE THAT FUNCTIONS
BOTH AS STRUCTURE AND COVERING. 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.

SHELL STRUCTURES 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. 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.

BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5
Alternative Building Construction

GJ Openiano, Course Mentor PPT -CTTO

CONOID

DOME

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY SHELLS OCCURING IN NATURE FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY HYPERBOLOID
PARABOLOID
BARREL VAULT FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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FORMS OF CURVATURE: FORMS OF CURVATURE: FORMS OF CURVATURE:

SURFACES OF REVOLUTION: SURFACES OF TRANSLATION : SURFACES OF TRANSLATION :
SURFACES OF REVOLUTION ARE GENERATED BY THE SURFACES OF TRANSLATION ARE GENERATED BY SLIDING A PLANE CURVE ALONG ANOTHER PLANE CURVE, WHILE IF TWO PARABOLAS ARE SIMILAR, THE SURFACE BECOMES A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION, CALLED PARABOLOID OF
REVOLUTION OF A PLANE CURVE, CALLED THE MERIDIONAL KEEPING THE ORIENTATION OF THE SLIDING CURVE CONSTANT. REVOLUTION.
CURVE,
ABOUT AN AXIS, CALLED THE AXIS OF REVOLUTION.
THE LATTER CURVE, ON WHICH THE ORIGINAL CURVE SLIDES, IS CALLED THE GENERATOR OF THE SURFACE.
IN THE SPECIAL CASE OF CYLINDRICAL AND CONICAL
SURFACES, THE MERIDIONAL CURVE CONSISTS OF A LINE IN THE SPECIAL CASE IN WHICH THE GENERATOR IS A STRAIGHT LINE, THE RESULTING SURFACE IS CALLED A
SEGMENT. CYLINDRICAL SURFACE.

E.G. : CYLINDERS, CONES,

SPHERICAL OR ELLIPTICAL DOMES,
HYPERBOLOIDS OF REVOLUTION, TOROIDS.

SURFACES OF TRANSLATION WITH RECTANGULAR PLAN:

(A) ELLIPTIC PARABOLOID (B) CYLINDRICAL PARABOLOID (C) HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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SHELLS
FORMS OF CURVATURE: FORMS OF CURVATURE:
RULED SURFACES : DEVELOPABLE AND NONDEVELOPABLE SURFACES :
RULED SURFACES ARE GENERATED BY SLIDING EACH END OF A STRAIGHT LINE ON THEIR OWN GENERATING CURVE.
SINGLY CURVED DOUBLY CURVED
(DEVELOPABLE SHELLS) (NON DEVELOPABLE SHELLS) SURFACES WITH DOUBLE CURVATURE CANNOT BE DEVELOPED, WHILE THOSE WITH SINGLE CURVATURE CAN BE
THESE LINES ARE NOT NECESSARILY AT RIGHT ANGLE TO THE PLANES CONTAINING THE END CURVES.
DEVELOPED.

DEVELOPED NONDEVELOPED

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 IN OTHER WORDS, SURFACES WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE GAUSSIAN CURVATURE (I.E. SYNCLASTIC AND ANTICLASTIC
CONES HYPERBOLOIDS OF
SURFACES) CANNOT BE DEVELOPED, WHILE THOSE WITH ZERO GAUSSIAN CURVATURE CAN BE DEVELOPED.
REVOLUTION OF
SURFACES OF SURFACES OF ONE SHEET
COOLING TOWER, GENERATED BY STRAIGHT CONOID, GENERATED BY STRAIGHT LINE TRAVELING ALONG ANOTHER REVOLUTION TRANSLATION/
TYPES OF GAUSSIAN CURVATURE.
LINES GOULD 1988 STRAIGHT LINE AT ONE END AND CURVED LINE AT OTHER END. JOEDICKE RULED SURFACE
HYPERBOLIC
CIRCULAR DOMES ELLIPTIC
1963 PARABOLOIDS
PARABOLOIDS
ELLIPSOID OF
REVOLUTION CONOIDS
PARABOLOIDS OF (A) POSITIVE GAUSSIAN (B) ZERO GAUSSIAN (C) NEGATIVE GAUSSIAN
PARABOLOIDS OF HYPERBOLOIDS OF
REVOLUTION
REVOLUTION REVOLUTION OF
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY ONE SHEET FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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FORMS OF CURVATURE: FORMS OF CURVATURE: FORMS OF CURVATURE:

DEVELOPABLE SURFACES (SINGLY CURVED) : NON-DEVELOPABLE SURFACES (DOUBLY CURVED) : NON-DEVELOPABLE SURFACES (DOUBLY CURVED) :
DEVELOPABLE SURFACE IS A SURFACE THAT CAN BE UNROLLED ONTO A FLAT PLANE WITHOUT TEARING OR STRETCHING E.G., SPHERE OR HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID.
IT. THEY ARE MAINLY CLASSIFIED AS : 1) SYNCLASTIC 2) ANTICLASTIC ANTICLASTIC SHELLS : ARE DOUBLY CURVED BUT EACH OF THE TWO CURVES HAVE

IT IS FORMED BY BENDING A FLAT PLANE, THE MOST TYPICAL SHAPE OF A DEVELOPABLE SHELL IS A BARREL, AND A THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE OTHER. E.G. SADDLE POINTS.
BARREL SHELL IS CURVED ONLY IN ONE DIRECTION. SYNCLASTIC SHELLS: ANTICLASTIC
THESE SHELLS ARE DOUBLY CURVED CONOIDS, HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID AND HYPERBOLOIDS ARE ALL CONSIDERED TO
BARREL : AND HAVE A SIMILAR CURVATURE IN EACH DIRECTION. E.G. DOMES THE ANTICLASTIC SHELL BECAUSE THEY ARE SADDLED SHAPE WITH DIFFERENT
CURVATURE IN EACH DIRECTION AND STRAIGHT LINES CAN BE DRAWN OF THE
ARCH ACTION & BEAM ACTION TOGETHER MAKE A BARREL.
A DOME IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A SYNCLASTIC SHELL, IT IS DOUBLY CURVED AND CAN BE FORMED BY ROTATING A SURFACE. CONOID
THERE ARE MAINLY TWO TYPES OF BARREL :
- LONG BARRELS , ARCH ACTION IS PROMINENT CURVED LINE AROUND AN AXIS.
- SHORT BARRELS, BEAM ACTION IS PROMINENT A DOME CAN BE SPLIT UP INTO TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS; VERTICAL SECTIONS SEPARATED BY LONGITUDINAL ARCH
CONOIDS: FORMED BY MOVING A ONE END OF A STRAIGHT LINE ALONG A CURVED
LINES (ALSO CALLED MERIDIANS), AND HORIZONTAL SECTIONS SEPARATED BY HOOPS OR PARALLELS.
PATH AND THE OTHER ALONG A STRAIGHT PATH.
STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF SHORT BARREL SHELLS:
STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR : HYPERBOLOID
THESE SHELLS ARE TYPICALLY SUPPORTED AT THE CORNERS HYPERBOLOIDS: FORMED BY ROTATING A STRAIGHT LINE AROUND A VERTICAL AXIS.
AND CAN BEHAVE IN ONE OR A COMBINATION OF THE SIMILAR TO ARCHES UNDER A UNIFORM LOADING THE DOME IS UNDER COMPRESSION EVERYWHERE, AND THE STRESSES PARABOLOID
FOLLOWING WAYS: ACT ALONG THE ARCH AND HOOP LINES.

STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF LONG BARREL SHELLS:

THESE ARE TYPICALLY SUPPORTED AT THE CORNERS AND

BEHAVE STRUCTURALLY AS A LARGE BEAM.
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

FORMS OF CURVATURE: FORMS OF CURVATURE: FORMS OF CURVATURE:
NON-DEVELOPABLE SURFACES (DOUBLY CURVED) : TENSION TIE : TENSION TIE :

HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID: FIG. (A) REPRESENTS A DOUBLY CURVED SHELL WITH NO AXIS OF SYMMETRY, THE SUPPORT MAY BE A CONTINUOUS WALL OR STIFF BEAMS
FORMED BY SWEEPING A CONVEX PARABOLA ALONG A CONCAVE SHOWS A SPHERICAL DOME SUPPORTED ON A WALL. BETWEEN ADEQUATELY SPACED COLUMNS. IT IS INTERESTING THAT
PARABOLA OR BY SWEEPING A STRAIGHT LINE OVER A STRAIGHT PATH AT THE STRAIGHT PARTS OF THE TIE IN FIG. (C) DO NOT REQUIRE TIES
ONE END AND ANOTHER STRAIGHT PATH NOT PARALLEL TO THE FIRST. WHENEVER THE SHELLS ARE SUPPORTED VERTICALLY AT THEIR EDGES, A TENSION ACROSS THE BUILDING.
TIE IS REQUIRED AROUND THE PERIMETER AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE DOME
STRUCTURAL BEHAVIORS: AND THE WALL. THE THRUSTS ARE TAKEN BY SHEAR FORCES THROUGH THE WIDTH
DEPENDING ON THE SHAPE OF THE SHELL RELATIVE TO THE CURVATURE, OF THE SHELL, AND ONLY TENSION FORCES EXIST IN THE TIE.
THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT STRESSES. HOWEVER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE TIE WILL BE FUNICULAR FOR ANY CYLINDRICAL SHELL COMBINED WITH SPHERICAL SHELL

SHELL ROOFS, HAVE COMPRESSION STRESSES FOLLOWING THE CONVEX SHAPE OF EITHER THE PLAN OR
CURVATURE AND THE TENSION STRESSES FOLLOW THE CONCAVE ELEVATION.
CURVATURE.
FIG. (B) THE SHELL HAS POSITIVE CURVATURE AND
CONTINUOUS VERTICAL SUPPORT.

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

TYPES OF SHELL STRUCTURES: TYPES OF SHELL STRUCTURES: TYPES OF SHELL STRUCTURES:
FOLDED PLATE SHELLS: CYLINDRICAL BARREL VAULTS: DOMES OF REVOLUTION:

THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURE OF THE FOLDED PLATE IS THE EASE IN FORMING PLANE BARREL VAULTS ARE PERHAPS THE MOST USEFUL OF THE SHELL STRUCTURES BECAUSE THEY CAN SPAN UPT O 150 FEET A DOME IS A SPACE STRUCTURE COVERING A MORE OR LESS
SURFACES. A FOLDED PLATE MAY BE FORMED FOR ABOUT THE SAME COST AS A WITH A MINIMUM OF MATERIAL. THEY ARE VERY EFFICIENT STRUCTURES BECAUSE THE USE THE ARCH FORM TO REDUCE SQUARE OR CIRCULAR AREA. THE BEST KNOWN EXAMPLE IS
SPHERE SEGMENT
HORIZONTAL SLAB AND HAS MUCH LESS STEEL AND CONCRETE FOR THE SAME SPANS. STRESSES AND THICKNESSES IN THE TRANSVERSE DIRECTION. THE DOME OF REVOLUTION, AND IT IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST
OF THE SHELL STRUCTURES. EXCELLENT EXAMPLES ARE STILL
THE PRINCIPLE COMPONENTS IN A FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURE CONSIST OF : IN EXISTENCE THAT WERE BUILT IN ROMAN TIMES. THEY ARE
1) THE INCLINED PLATES FORMED BY A SURFACE GENERATED BY A CURVE OF ANY
2) EDGE PLATES WHICH MUST BE USED TO STIFFEN THE WIDE PLATES FORM REVOLVING ABOUT A VERTICAL LINE. THIS SURFACE
3) STIFFENERS TO CARRY THE LOADS TO THE SUPPORTS AND TO HOLD THE PLATES IN LINE CANOPIES MULTIPLE BARRELS - HAS DOUBLE CURVATURE AND THE RESULTING STRUCTURE
CORRUGATED CURVES UNSTIFFENED EDGES OUTSIDE STIFFENERS THE LAZY S IS MUCH STIFFER AND STRONGER THAN A SINGLE CURVED
4) COLUMNS TO SUPPORT THE STRUCTURE IN THE AIR.
DOMES - SQUARE IN PLAN
SURFACE, SUCH AS A CYLINDRICAL SHELL.

FOLDED PLATE TRUSS

Z SHELL

TAPERED FOLDED PLATES THREE SEGMENT FOLDED PLATE HALF SPHERE

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FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

MOST SUITABLE MATERIAL CENTERING OF SHELLS CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL VAULT
THE MATERIAL MOST SUITED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SHELL STRUCTURE IS CONCRETE BECAUSE IT IS A HIGHLY PLASTIC CENTERING IS THE TERM USED TO DESCRIBE THE NECESSARY THE BARREL VAULT IS THE MOST STRAIGHT FORWARD
MATERIAL WHEN FIRST MIXED WITH WATER THAT CAN TAKE UP ANY SHAPE ON CENTERING OR INSIDE FORMWORK. TEMPORARY SUPPORT ON WHICH THE CURVED R.C.C SHELL SINGLE CURVATURE SHELL CONSTRUCTION. IT IS THE PART
SMALL SECTIONS OF REINFORCING BARS CAN READILY BE BENT TO FOLLOW THE CURVATURE OF SHELLS. STRUCTURE IS CAST. OF A CYLINDER OR BARREL WITH SAME CURVATUREALONG
ITS LENGTH.
ONCE THE CEMENT HAS SET AND THE CONCERETE HAS HARDENED THE R.C.C MEMBRANE OR SLAB ACTS AS A STRONG, THE CENTERING OF A BARREL VAULT, WHICH IS PART OF A
RIGID SHELL WHICH SERVES AS BOTH STRUCTURE AND COVERING TO THE BUILDING. CYLINDER WITH SAME CURVATURE ALONG ITS LENGTH; IS ANY NUMBER OF CONTINUOUS BARRELS OR CONTINUOUS
LESS COMPLEX. THE CENTERING OF CONOID, DOME AND SPANS ARE POSSIBLE EXCEPT THAT EVENTUALLY
HYPERBOLOID OF REVOLUTION IS MORE COMPLEX DUE TO PROVISION IS MADE FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE JOINTS
ADDITIONAL LABOUR AND WASTEFUL CUTTING OF IN A LARGE STRUCTURES.
MATERIALS TO FORM SUPPORT FOR SHAPES THAT ARE NOT
OF UNIFORM LINEAR CURVATURE. THE BARREL VAULTS ARE USED AS PARKING, MARKET
PLACE, ASSEMBLY HALL ,ETC.
THE ATTRACTION OF SHELL STRUCTURES LIES IN THE
ELEGANT SIMPLICITY OF CURVED SHELL FORMS THAT UTILISE TYPES OF BARREL VAULTS
THE NATURAL ATRENGTH AND STIFFNESS OF SHELL FORMS 1. SHORT SPAN BARREL VAULTS
WITH GREAT ECONOMY IN THE USE OF MATERIALS. 2. LONG SPAN BARREL VAULTS
THE DISADVANTAGE OF SHELL STRUCTURE IS THEIR COST.
THE SHELL STRUCTURE IS MORE EXPENSIVE DUE TO
CONSIDERABLE LABOUR REQUIRED TO CONSTRUCT THE
CENTERING ON WHICH THE SHELL IS CAST.
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL VAULT CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL VAULT: CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL VAULT:
SHORT SPAN BARREL VAULT
STIFFENING BEAMS AND ARCHES: EDGE AND VALLEY BEAMS:
SHORT SPAN BARREL VAULTS ARE THOSE IN WHICH SPAN IS UNDER LOCAL LOADS THE THIN SHELL OF THE BARREL DUE TO SELF WEIGHT AND IMPOSED LOAD THE THIN SHELL WILL TEND TO SPREAD AND ITS CURVATURE FLATTEN OUT. TO
SHORTER THAN ITS WIDTH. IT IS USED FOR THE WIDTH OF VAULT WILL TEND TO DISTORT AND LOSE SHAPE AND EVEN RESIST THIS RCC EDGE BEAMS ARE CAST BETWEEN COLUMNS.
THE ARCH RIBS BETWEEN WHICH THE BARREL VAULT SPAN. COLLAPSE IF THE RESULTANT STRESSES WERE MORE. TO
STRENGTHEN THE SHELL AGAINST THIS POSSIBILITY, EDGE BEAMS MAY BE CAST AS DROPPED BEAMS OR UPSTAND BEAMS OR PARTIALLY AS BOTH. IN HOT CLIMATE THE
LONG SPAN BARREL VAULT STIFFENING BEAMS OR ARCHES ARE CAST INTEGRALLY DROPPED BEAM IS USED WHEREAS IN TEMPERATE CLIMATE UPSTAND BEAM IS USED TO FORM DRAINAGE CHANNEL FOR
LONG SPAN BARREL VAULTS ARE THOSE IN WHICH SPAN IS WITH THE SHELL. RAIN WATER.
LARGER THAN ITS WIDTH.
STRENGTH OF THE STRUCTURE LIES AT THE RIGHT ANGLES THE COMMON PRACTICE IS TO PROVIDE A STIFFENING IN MULTI-BAY STRUCTURES, SPREADING OF THE VAULTS IS LARGELY TRANSMITTED TO THE ADJACENT SHELLS, SO DOWN
TO THE CURVATURE TO THAT SPAN IS LONGITUDINAL TO MEMBER BETWEEN THE COLUMN SUPPORTING THE SHELL. STAND AND FEATHER VALLEY BEAM IS USED.
THE CURVATURE.
DOWNSTAND STIFFENING RCC BEAM IS MOST EFFICIENT
USUAL SPAN OF THE LONGITUDINAL BARREL VAULT IS BECAUSE OF ITS DEPTH, BUT THIS INTERRUPTS THE LINE OF
FROM 12-30 M WITH ITS WIDTH BEING ABOUT 1/2 THE SPAN SOFFIT OF VAULTS, FOR THIS UPSTAND STIFFENING BEAM
AND RISE IS 1/5 OF THE WIDTH. IS USED.

TO COVER LARGER AREAS MULTIBAY ,MULTI SPAN ROOFS THE DISADVANTAGE OF UPSTAND BEAM IS THAT IT BREAKS
CAN BE USED WHERE THE ROOF IS EXTENDED ACROSS THE UP THE LINE OF ROOF AND NEED PROTECTIONS AGAINST
WIDTH OF THE VAULT AS A MULTIBAY . WEATHER.

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL VAULT: CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL VAULT: CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL VAULT:
EXPANSION JOINTS: ROOF LIGHTS:
TOP LIGHT CAN BE PROVIDED BY DECK LIGHT FORMED IN THE CROWN OF VAULT OR BY DOME LIGHT. THE DECK
THE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE CAUSES THE
LIGHT CAN BE CONTINUOUS OR FORMED AS INDIVIDUAL [Link] LIGHTS ARE FIXED TO AN UPSTAND CURB CAST
EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION IN CONCRETE
INTEGRALLY WITH THE SHELL.
STRUCTURES, WHICH CAUSES THE STRUCTURES TO
DEFORM OR COLLAPSE.
ADVANTAGE OF THE SHELL IS THAT ITS CONCAVE SOFFIT REFELECTS AND HELPS TO DISPERSE LIGHT OVER AREA BELOW.
DISADVANTAGE IS THAT TOP LIGHT MAY CAUSE OVER HEATING AND GLARE.
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 AND ROOF COVERING:
MULTI-SPAN BARREL VAULT ROOFS. LONGITUDINAL SHELLS MAY BE COVERED WITH NON-FERROUS SHEET METAL, ASPHALT, BITUMEN FELT, A PLASTIC MEMBRANE OR A
EXPANSION JOINTS ARE FORMED IN A UP STAND LIQUID RUBBER BASE COATING.
VALLEY.

ROOF INSULATION:
THE THIN SHELL OFFERS POOR RESISTANCE TO TRANSFER OF HEAT. THE NEED TO ADD SOME FORM OF INSULATING
LINING ADDS CONSIDERABLY TO COST OF SHELL.
THE MOST SATISFACTORY METHOD OF INSULATION IS TO SPREAD A LIGHT WEIGHT SCREED OVER THE SHELL.

DIFFICULTIES OF PROVIDING INSULATION AND MAINTING THE ELEGANCE OF CURVED SHAPE MAKES THESE STRUCTURES
LARGELY UNSUITED TO HEATED BUILDINGS IN TEMPERATE CLIMATE.
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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ADVANTAGES AND DIS-ADVANTAGES OF SHELLS: CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE:
ADVANTAGES: SYSTEM SPANS AND EFFECTIVE SPANS:
1. VERY LIGHT FORM OF CONSTRUCTION. TO SPAN 30.0 M SHELL THICKNESS REQUIRED IS 60MM THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE SPANS UP TO 164 FEET.
2. DEAD LOAD CAN BE REDUCED ECONOMIZING FOUNDATION AND SUPPORTING SYSTEM
3. THEY FURTHER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT ARCH SHAPES CAN SPAN LONGER THE ARCHES ARE SUPPORTED BY OVER 350KM OF
4. FLAT SHAPES BY CHOOSING CERTAIN ARCHED SHAPES TENSIONED STEEL CABLE.
5. ESTHETICALLY IT LOOKS GOOD OVER OTHER FORMS OF CONSTRUCTION
THE SHELL THICKNESS GOES FROM 3 TO 4 INCHES.
DIS-ADVANTAGES:
1. SHUTTERING PROBLEM ALL SHELLS WEIGHT A TOTAL OF 15 TONS.

2. GREATER ACCURACY IN FORMWORK IS REQUIRED

3. GOOD LABOUR AND SUPERVISION NECESSARY THIS INVOLVED LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS AND BUILDING A PODIUM 82 FEET (25 M) ABOVE SEA LEVEL. MORE THAN
4. RISE OF ROOF MAY BE A DISADVANTAGE 39,239 CUBIC FEET (30,000 M3) OF ROCK AND SOIL WERE REMOVED BY EXCAVATORS.

THE FOUNDATION WAS BUILT ATOP A LARGE ROCK THAT SAT IN SYDNEY HARBOUR. THE SECOND STAGE SAW THE BUILDING
OF THE SHELLS, THE PODIUM STRUCTURE, THE STAGE TOWER, AND THE NECESSARY MACHINERY.

CABLE BEAMS WERE BUILT AND REINFORCED BY STEEL CABLES TO RELEASE THE STRESS OF THE WEIGHT. THE STRENGTH OF
THE CABLES WAS TESTED BY LOADING ADDITIONAL WEIGHTS. WHEN THE BUILDERS WERE SATISFIED THAT THE CABLES
WOULD SUPPORT, THE BEAMS WERE MADE EXTENDABLE BY OTHER BEAMS.
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY
FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE:
SYSTEM SPANS AND EFFECTIVE SPANS: CONSTRUCTION:
THE "SHELLS" WERE PERCEIVED AS A SERIES OFPARABOLAS SUPPORTED BY PRECAST CONCRETE RIBS. THE FORMWORK FOR
USING IN-SITU CONCRETE WOULD HAVE BEEN PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE, BUT, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO REPETITION IN ANY
OF THE ROOF FORMS, THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRE-CAST CONCRETE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL SECTION WOULD POSSIBLY HAVE
BEEN EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE.

THE DESIGN TEAM WENT THROUGH AT LEAST 12 ITERATIONS OF THE FORM OF THE SHELLS TRYING TO FIND AN
ECONOMICALLY ACCEPTABLE FORM (INCLUDING SCHEMES WITH PARABOLAS, CIRCULAR RIBS AND ELLIPSOIDS) BEFORE A
WORKABLE SOLUTION WAS COMPLETED. IN MID-1961, THE DESIGN TEAM FOUND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM: THE SHELLS
ALL BEING CREATED AS SECTIONS FROM A SPHERE. THIS SOLUTION ALLOWS ARCHES OF VARYING LENGTH TO BE CAST IN A 1. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE STEEL REINFORCING 2. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ON COMPLETION OF PODIUM 1
COMMON MOULD, AND A NUMBER OF ARCH SEGMENTS OF COMMON LENGTH TO BE PLACED ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER,
TO FORM A SPHERICAL SECTION.

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY 3. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ON COMPLETION OF PODIUM 2 4. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE SHELL RIBS

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CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE:

FINISHES:
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
ACTUAL CLAY, BRICK, AND STONE VENEER
GRANITE OR MARBLE CLADDING Drawing Analysis: In an A4 size paper, 1 page only in freehand or digital
EXPOSED AGGREGATE FINISH
SAND BLASTED FINISH
drawing.
FORM LINER PATTERNS
Kindly elaborate thru diagrams and sketches the lecture principles that
THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE USES WHITE GLAZED GRANITE TILES.
1,056,000 TILES WERE USED TO COVER THE MASSIVE STRUCTURE. have been discussed in this Power Point Learning Material and on the
Instructional Material on this Topic: Shell Structures.

Provide proper citations of references for information, illustrations or

graphics that has been barrowed online or from books.

Avoid plagiarism and academic dishonesty.

Due: Tuesday, 19 November 2024

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ONLY

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