SHELL

STRUCTURES
INTRODUCTION
LATTICE AND PORTAL FRAME BUILDINGS CONSIST OF A STRUCTURAL FRAME WHICH SUPPORTS SLAB, ROOF AND WALL
COVERING. THIS FRAME SERVES PURELYAS 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.

SHELLS OCCURING IN NATURE

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 CURVATUREARE USED TO DISTINGUISH THE COMPARITIVE RIGIDITY OF THE TWO
FORMS AND COMPLEXITY OF CENTRING NECESSARY TO CONSTRUCT THE SHELL FORM.

CONOID

DOME

HYPERBOLOID
PARABOLOID
BARREL VAULT
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
SURFACES OF
REVOLUTION:
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.
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
SURFACES OF
TRANSLATION :
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.

SURFACES OF TRANSLATION WITH RECTANGULAR PLAN:

(A) ELLIPTIC PARABOLOID (B) CYLINDRICAL PARABOLOID (C) HYPERBOLIC
PARABOLOID
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
SURFACES OF
TRANSLATION :
IF TWO PARABOLAS ARE SIMILAR, THE SURFACE BECOMES A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION, CALLED PARABOLOID
OF

REVOLUTION.
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
RULED
SURFACES :
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 CONOID, GENERATED BY STRAIGHT LINE TRAVELING ALONG ANOTHER
LINES GOULD 1988 STRAIGHT LINE AT ONE END AND CURVED LINE AT OTHER END.
JOEDICKE 1963
 SHELL
S

SINGLY DOUBLY CURVED

CURVED (NON DEVELOPABLE
SHELLS)
(DEVELOPABLE SHELLS)

SURFACES SURFACES OF SYNCLASTIC ANTYNCLASTIC

OF TRANSLATION/
REVOLUTION RULED
CIRCULAR CYLINDER
SURFACE SURFACES SURFACES OF
(BARREL) CIRCULAR
OR
OF TRANSLATION/
NON CIRCULAR
CYLINDER
REVOLUTION RULED
CONE
S CONE SURFACE
HYPERBOLOIDS OF
S REVOLUTION OF
SURFACES SURFACES OF
ONE SHEET
OF TRANSLATION/
REVOLUTION RULED
HYPERBOLIC
CIRCULAR SURFACE
ELLIPTIC PARABOLOID
DOMES
PARABOLOID S
ELLIPSOID OF
S CONOID
S
REVOLUTION PARABOLOIDS OF
PARABOLOIDS OF HYPERBOLOIDS OF
REVOLUTION
REVOLUTION REVOLUTION OF
ONE SHEET
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
DEVELOPABLE AND NONDEVELOPABLE SURFACES :
SURFACES WITH DOUBLE CURVATURE CANNOT BE DEVELOPED, WHILE THOSE WITH SINGLE CURVATURE CAN
BE
DEVELOPED.
DEVELOPE NONDEVELOPED
D

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.
TYPES OF GAUSSIAN CURVATURE.

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

GAUSSIAN GAUSSIAN 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.
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
NON-DEVELOPABLE SURFACES (DOUBLY
CURVED) :
ANTICLASTIC SHELLS : ARE DOUBLY CURVED BUT EACH OF THE TWO CURVES HAVE
THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE OTHER. E.G. SADDLE POINTS.
ANTICLASTIC
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. CONOID

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 HYPERBOLOI

AXIS. D
PARABOLOID
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
NON-DEVELOPABLE SURFACES (DOUBLY
CURVED) :
HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID:
FORMED BY SWEEPING A CONVEX PARABOLA ALONG A CONCAVE
PARABOLA OR BY SWEEPING A STRAIGHT LINE OVER A STRAIGHT PATH AT
ONE END AND ANOTHER STRAIGHT PATH NOT PARALLEL TO THE FIRST.

STRUCTURAL BEHAVIORS:
DEPENDING ON THE SHAPE OF THE SHELL RELATIVE TO THE CURVATURE,
THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT STRESSES.
SHELL ROOFS, HAVE COMPRESSION STRESSES FOLLOWING THE
CONVEX CURVATURE AND THE TENSION STRESSES FOLLOW THE
CONCAVE CURVATURE.
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
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.
FORMS OF
CURVATURE:
TENSION TIE :
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.
C
Y
L
I
N
D
R
I
C
A
L

S
H
E
L
L
TYPES OF SHELL
STRUCTURES:
FOLDED PLATE SHELLS:
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 FORTHE SAME
SPANS.

1)
THETHE INCLINED
PRINCIPLE PLATES
COMPONENTS IN A FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURE CONSIST OF :
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 CANOPIES
LINE
4) COLUMNS TO SUPPORT THE STRUCTURE IN THE AIR.

FOLDED PLATE
TRUSS

Z
SHELL

TAPERED FOLDED THREE SEGMENT FOLDED

PLATES PLATE
 TYPES OF SHELL
STRUCTURES:
CYLINDRICAL 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 THEARCH FORM TO
REDUCE STRESSES AND THICKNESSES IN THE TRANSVERSE DIRECTION.

MULTIPLE BARRELS -
CORRUGATED UNSTIFFENED OUTSIDE THE LAZY
CURVES EDGES STIFFENERS S
TYPES OF SHELL
STRUCTURES:
DOMES OF REVOLUTION:
A DOME IS A SPACE STRUCTURE COVERING A MORE OR LESS
SQUARE OR CIRCULAR AREA. THE BEST KNOWN EXAMPLE IS
SPHERE
THE DOME OF REVOLUTION, AND IT IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST SEGMENT
OF THE SHELL STRUCTURES. EXCELLENT EXAMPLES ARE
STILL IN EXISTENCE THAT WERE BUILT IN ROMAN TIMES.
THEYARE FORMED BY A SURFACE GENERATED BY A CURVE
OF ANY FORM REVOLVING ABOUT A VERTICAL LINE. THIS
SURFACE HAS DOUBLE CURVATURE AND THE RESULTING
STRUCTURE IS MUCH STIFFER AND STRONGER THAN A
DOMES - SQUARE IN
SINGLE CURVED SURFACE, SUCH AS A CYLINDRICAL SHELL. PLAN

HALF
SPHERE
MOST SUITABLE
MATERIAL
THE MATERIAL MOST SUITED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SHELL STRUCTURE IS CONCRETE BECAUSE IT IS A HIGHLY
PLASTIC MATERIAL WHEN FIRST MIXED WITH WATER THAT CAN TAKE UP ANY SHAPE ON CENTERING OR INSIDE
FORMWORK. SMALL SECTIONS OF REINFORCING BARS CAN READILY BE BENT TO FOLLOW THE CURVATURE OF
SHELLS.

ONCE THE CEMENT HAS SET AND THE CONCERETE 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.
CENTERING OF
SHELLS
CENTERING IS THE TERM USED TO DESCRIBE THE NECESSARY
TEMPORARY SUPPORT ON WHICH THE CURVED R.C.C SHELL
STRUCTURE IS CAST.

THE CENTERING OF A BARREL VAULT, WHICH IS PART OF A

CYLINDER WITH SAME CURVATURE ALONG ITS LENGTH; IS
LESS COMPLEX. THE CENTERING OF CONOID, DOME AND
HYPERBOLOID OF REVOLUTION IS MORE COMPLEX DUE TO
ADDITIONAL LABOUR AND WASTEFUL CUTTING OF
MATERIALS TO FORM SUPPORT FOR SHAPES THAT ARE NOT
OF UNIFORM LINEAR CURVATURE.

THE ATTRACTION OF SHELL STRUCTURES LIES IN THE

ELEGANT SIMPLICITY OF CURVED SHELL FORMS THAT UTILISE
THE NATURAL ATRENGTH AND STIFFNESS OF SHELL FORMS
WITH GREAT ECONOMY IN THE USE OF MATERIALS.
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.
CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL
VAULT
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 USEDAS PARKING, MARKET

PLACE, ASSEMBLY HALL ,ETC.

TYPES OF BARREL VAULTS

1.SHORT SPAN BARREL VAULTS
2.LONG SPAN BARREL VAULTS
CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL
VAULT
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 .
CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL
VAULT:
STIFFENING BEAMS AND
ARCHES:
UNDER LOCAL LOADS THE THIN SHELL OF THE BARREL
VAULT WILL TEND TO DISTORT AND LOSE SHAPE AND
EVEN COLLAPSE IF THE RESULTANT STRESSES WERE
MORE. TO STRENGTHEN THE SHELL AGAINST THIS
POSSIBILITY, STIFFENING BEAMS OR ARCHES ARE CAST
INTEGRALLY WITH THE SHELL.

THE COMMON PRACTICE IS TO PROVIDE A STIFFENING

MEMBER BETWEEN THE COLUMN SUPPORTING THE
SHELL.

DOWNSTAND STIFFENING RCC BEAM IS MOST EFFICIENT

BECAUSE OF ITS DEPTH, BUT THIS INTERRUPTS THE LINE
OF SOFFIT OF VAULTS, FOR THIS UPSTAND STIFFENING
BEAM IS USED.

THE DISADVANTAGE OF UPSTAND BEAM IS THAT IT BREAKS

UP THE LINE OF ROOF AND NEED PROTECTIONS AGAINST
WEATHER.
CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL
VAULT:
EDGE AND VALLEY
BEAMS:
DUE TO SELF WEIGHT AND IMPOSED LOAD THE THIN SHELL WILL TEND TO SPREAD AND ITS CURVATURE FLATTEN OUT.
TO RESIST THIS RCC EDGE BEAMS ARE CAST BETWEEN COLUMNS.

EDGE BEAMS MAY BE CAST AS DROPPED BEAMS OR UPSTAND BEAMS OR PARTIALLY AS BOTH. IN HOT CLIMATE THE
DROPPED BEAM IS USED WHEREAS IN TEMPERATE CLIMATE 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 AND FEATHER VALLEY BEAM IS USED.
CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL
VAULT:
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 AND
MULTI-SPAN BARREL VAULT ROOFS. LONGITUDINAL
EXPANSION JOINTS ARE FORMED IN A UP STAND
VALLEY.
CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL
VAULT:
ROOF
LIGHTS:
TOP LIGHT CAN BE PROVIDED BY DECK LIGHT FORMED IN THE CROWN OF VAULT OR BY DOME LIGHT. THE DECK LIGHT
CAN BE CONTINUOUS OR FORMED AS INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS.ROOF LIGHTS ARE FIXED TO AN UPSTAND CURB CAST
INTEGRALLY WITH THE SHELL.

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.

ROOF
COVERING:
SHELLS MAY BE COVERED WITH NON-FERROUS SHEET METAL, ASPHALT, BITUMEN FELT, A PLASTIC MEMBRANE OR A
LIQUID RUBBER BASE COATING.

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.
CONSTRUCTION OF R.C.C BARREL
VAULT:
ADVANTAGES AND DIS-ADVANTAGES OF
SHELLS:
ADVANTAGES:
1.VERY LIGHT FORM OF CONSTRUCTION. TO SPAN 30.0 M SHELL THICKNESS REQUIRED IS
60MM
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
4. FLAT SHAPES BY CHOOSING CERTAIN ARCHED SHAPES
5. ESTHETICALLY IT LOOKS GOOD OVER OTHER FORMS OF CONSTRUCTION

DIS-ADVANTAGES:
6.SHUTTERING PROBLEM
7.GREATER ACCURACY IN FORMWORK IS REQUIRED
8. GOOD LABOUR AND SUPERVISION NECESSARY
9. RISE OF ROOF MAY BE A DISADVANTAGE
CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA
HOUSE:
CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA
HOUSE:
SYSTEM SPANS AND EFFECTIVE SPANS:
THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE SPANS UP TO 164 FEET.

THE ARCHES ARE SUPPORTED BY OVER 350KM

OF TENSIONED STEEL CABLE.

THE SHELL THICKNESS GOES FROM 3 TO 4

INCHES. ALL SHELLS WEIGHT A TOTAL OF 15

TONS.

THIS INVOLVED LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS AND BUILDING A PODIUM 82 FEET (25 M) ABOVE SEA LEVEL. MORE
THAN 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.
CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA
HOUSE:
SYSTEM SPANS AND EFFECTIVE SPANS:

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 THROUGHAT 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 COMMON MOULD, AND A NUMBER OF ARCH SEGMENTS OF COMMON LENGTH TO BE PLACED ADJACENT TO ONE
ANOTHER, TO FORM A SPHERICAL SECTION.
CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA
HOUSE:
CONSTRUCTION:
 CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA
HOUSE:

1. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE STEEL 2. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ON COMPLETION OF PODIUM

REINFORCING 1

3. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ON COMPLETION OF PODIUM 4. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE SHELL

CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA
HOUSE:
FINISHES:
ACTUAL CLAY, BRICK, AND STONE VENEER
GRANITE OR MARBLE CLADDING
EXPOSED AGGREGATE FINISH
SAND BLASTED FINISH
FORM LINER PATTERNS

THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE USES WHITE GLAZED GRANITE

TILES. 1,056,000 TILES WERE USED TO COVER THE MASSIVE
STRUCTURE.