SHELL STRUCTURES

INTRODUCTION

The shell structure is a thin curved membrane or a slab that is usually made
from the reinforced cement concrete. The shell Structure is used as both
structure and covering membrane.Shell Structures are defined as structures
that are capable of maintaining their shape and the support loads without any
help of the frame or the solid mass materials.The term shell is generally used
to describe structures that possess high strength and rigidity due to their thin
form. The of the best feature of the shell structures is their continuity and
curvature. Due to its structural continuity, the shells can transmit the loads in a
number of different directions.

TYPES OF STRUCTURES

1. Barrel Vaults of Shell Structure

The Barrel vault is one of the commonly used shell structures because of its
greater span capacity. These types of Shell structures have a span capacity of
upto 50m. The barrel vaults are concrete thin shells that mainly consist of the
cylinder, frame at its ends including columns.

2. Folded Plates of Shell Structure

The folded plate is a type of shell structure that is made from a thin flat slab.
These types of structures are generally joined along their edges to construct
the three-dimensional structure.
The maximum length to which the folded plate can be constructed is up to 30
meters. The thickness of the folded plate is only 60 mm. Folded plates are one
of the best attractive structure which required very less material and
construction cost.

3. Faced Folded Plate of Shell Structure

Folded plate structures are assemblies of flat plates, or slabs, inclined in

different directions and joined along their longitudinal edges. Modern folded
plate structures are typically made of cast in situ or precast reinforced
concrete, or steel plate. It consists of triangular or polygonal planar thin slabs
joining along their edges to form a thin plate structure.

4. Folded Plate Dome of Shell Structure

In this category are included all domes made with plane slabs and plates.
There are many variations and only a few of them can be shown here. Domes
may be constructed with small angles between the plates or with large angles
between plates and the structural action may be considerably different for
each type.

The obvious advantage of the folded plate dome is that the surfaces are
easier to form because they are flat. On the other hand, for slab spans over 16
ft, the shell wall is thicker than a curved surface because bending must be
considered. The acoustical properties of a structure with plane surfaces are
much better since the sound rays do not come to focus. This characteristic
may be enough to make the folded plate dome superior to the curved dome
for use in an auditorium.
5. Short Shell

Short shell structures basically have a cylindrical shape which has a large
radius as compared to its length. The overall thickness of the shell is very thin
due to its properties.

Short shells can carry the load in two different ways, the first is carrying the
load to the lower elements and the second as a curved beam to the arches.

6. Domes Shell

Domes are basically hemisphere in shape. The domes are generally used as a
roof structure. A dome is a space structure that covers a circular area.

7. Shell Arche

Shell Arches are the type of Shell structures that are small shells. Shell Arches
are not an Efficient structure for the higher value of the bending moment.

8. Cylindrical Barrel Vault of Shell Structure

Cylindrical Barrel Vaults are perhaps the most useful of the shell structures
because they can span up to 150 feet with a minimum of material. they are
very efficient structures because they use the arch form to reduce stresses
and thicknesses in the transverse direction
9. Translation of Shell Structure

A translation shell is a dome set on four arches. The shape is different from a
spherical dome and is generated by a vertical circle moving on another circle.
The stresses in a translation shell are much like a dome at the top, but at the
level of the arches, tension forces are offset by compression in the arch.

● ADVANTAGES

● Shell structures have very high stiffness.

● Shell structures have higher strength with respect to their self-weight.
● Shell structures are used to cover a large area.
● It is very simple in design and has more strength as compared to other
types of Structures.
● Steel structures are structurally continuous and it can transfer loads in a
number of directions.
● Shell structures are attractive in appearance and mostly used for
decorative purposes.
● The notes which are applied to the shell structures are carried to the
ground by tensile, shear, and compressive forces.
● The dead load in the Shell structure can be reduced by economizing the
foundation and the overall support system.

● DISADVANTAGES

There are also some disadvantages of shell structures which are as follows.
 1. In the case of shell structures, it is not possible to construct a floor
above them.
2. The labor cost required for the construction of Shell structures is
more.
3. For the construction of the shell structures, there should be greater
accuracy in the formwork required.
4. The construction of the shell structures required Skilled labor and
good supervision.
● EXAMPLES

Sydney Opera House

Utzon and Arup worked on developing a shell system that would make the
original spherical scheme structurally possible. Twelve iterations later, they
came up with a solution that consisted of a ribbed system of precast concrete
shells created from sections of a sphere. This system permitted each rib to be
built up of a number of standard segments cast in a common mold at the site.
Utzon wanted the shells to be portrayed like large while sails in contrast to the
deep blue waters of the ocean it stood upon. In order to achieve this aesthetic
the shells are covered with 1,056,066 ceramic tiles made in Sweden from clay
and crushed stone. Along with the placement of the tiles, it took eleven years
to complete the iconic roof structure.