FOLDED

PLATE
STRUCTURE
 INTRODUCTION CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
01. 04.
THOERY PROCEDURE

02. 05.
ADVANTAGES AND
MATERIALS 06. DISADVANTAGES

03.
CASE STUDY
07.
 FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURE

FOLDED PLATES : FOLDED PLATES ARE

ASSEMBLIES OF FLAT PLATES RIGIDLY
CONNECTED TOGETHER ALONG THEIR EDGES
IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE STRUCTURE
SYSTEM THAT IS CAPABLE OF CARRING
LOADS WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL
SUPPORTING BEAMS ALONG MUTUAL EDGES.

FOLDING SYSTEM IN NATURE : SOME OF

FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURE DO EXIST IN OUR
NATURE,SUCH AS LEAF OF PALM TREE,
BEETLE INSECT WITH FOLDABLE WINGS,
SEASHELL ARE ADOPTED TO BE EMPLOYED IN
A NEW, TECHNICAL WAY.
 STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR OF FOLDING

LOAD DISTRIBUTION

● AT FIRST, THE EXTERNAL FORCES

ARE TRANSFERRED TO THE
SHORTER EDGE OF ONE FOLDING
ELEMENT.

● THERE, THE REACTION AS AN

AXIAL FORCE IS DIVIDED
BETWEEN THE ADJACENT
ELEMENTS.

● THEN THE FORCES TRANSFERRED

TO THE BEARINGS.
THEORY OF THE
FOLDED PLATES
FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURES ARE CHOSEN FOR THEIR HIGH WEIGHT
BEARING CAPACITY AND THEIR DURABILITY.

THEY CAN BE BEST DESCRIBED AS THE ASSEMBLIES CONSISTING

OF FLAT SLABS OR PLATES THAT ARE INCLINED IN DIFFERENT
DIRECTIONS AND ARE JOINED ALONG THEIR EDGES AT THE TOP.
 PRINCIPLE OF FOLDING PLATE

THE STRUCTURAL
CHARACTERISTIC DEPENDS
ON :

1.PATTERN OF THE BUILDING

2.GEOMETRICAL BASIC
SHAPE 3.MATERIALS USED
4.CONNECTION BETWEEN
PLANES
1. FOLDED PLATES HAVE AN INTRINSIC RIGIDITY AND HIGH
LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY WHICH MAKES THEM
ECONOMICAL OVER LONG SPANS THAT NEED TO BE FREE
ON INTERNAL COLUMN AND OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS.

2. BENDING IN FOLDED PLATES CAUSES TOP COMPRESSION

AND BOTTOM TENSION.

3. FOLDED PLATES ARE TEND TO FLATTEN OUT UNDER

GRAVITY LOAD, WHICH MAY BE PREVENTED BY WALLS OR
FRAMES AT END SUPPORTS.
BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE FOLDING PLATE
• THE INCLINED PLATES
• THE EDGE PLATES
• STIFFENERS USED TO CARRY LOADS TO THE SUPPORT.
• COLUMNS TO SUPPORT THE STRUCTURE IN THE AIR.
TYPES OF FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURES
SPATIAL
STRUCTUR
E

FRAME
STRUCTURE
SURFACE S
STRUCTURE
 03
MATERIALS
01. RCC

04. PLASTIC
02. METAL

05. GLASS
03. WOOD

COMBINATION OF
06. MATERIALS
01 RCC
1) THE INSTALLATION OF REINFORCED CONCRETE
STRUCTURE MADE OF COMPOSITE SLABS ENABLE TO
FORM DIFFERENT SHAPES OF FOLDS OF REINFORCED
CONCRETE.

TRUSS FOLDED STRUCTURE

DELFT UNIVERSITY GATWICK AIRPORT, LONDON
 02 METAL
FOLDED CONSTRUCION MADE OF METAL, STEEL OR ALUMINIUM CONSISTS OF BELTS
AND DIAGONAL BARS INFILLING. FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURES MADE OF STEEL ARE
GENERALLY CONSTRUCTED FROM PLATES WORKING AS MEMBRANES TAKING BOTH
SHEAR AND NORMAL FORCES WHEN THE SPANS ARE SMALL. FOR LARGER SPANS THE
PLATE STRUCTURES ARE USUALLY MADE UP FROM AN INCLINED SIMPLE TRUSS.

RIVERSIDE MUSEUM,AUSTRALIA
AIR FORCE ACADEMY CHAPEL,
COLORADO SPRINGS, USA
 03 WOOD
FOLDED STRUCTURES MADE OF WOOD ARE EASY TO HANDLE AND ASSEMBLE. ON
THE BASIS OF PRIMARY STRUCTURE OF FOLD SEGMENT CAM BE TRUSS
DIVIDED INTO.
Panel FOLDED STRUCTURES CAN BE MADE FROM
ELEMENTS OF WOODEN FOLDED THE RODS OF GLUED LAMINATED WOOD.
CONSTRUCTION CAN ALSO BE FORMED OF CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCH FOLDED
THE PANELS CONSISTING OF A WOODEN STRUCTURES ARE LARGE CROSS-SECTIONS
BOX LINED ON BOTH SIDES WITH VENEER OF THE BAND STICKS.
SHEETS. THIS TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION
HAS FOUND APPLICATION AS A MEZZANINE
AND THE ROOF STRUCTURE "KEILSTAG”.

SPORTS HALL, LKV CENTRE,

FRANCE

KEILSTAG - MEZZANINE FOLDED STRUCTURE

04 PLASTIC
1) THIS TYPE OF FOLDED STRUCTURE IS MADE OF POLYESTER RESIN AND
HAS FOUND APPLICATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GARDEN CENTRE
FACILITIES.

05 GLASS
GLASS CAN BE USED ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER MATERIALS
LIKE WALL, ROOF, AND FLOOR CONSTRUCTIONS. IN ORDER TO PREVENT
GLASS DEFORMATION IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER ELEMENT.
 

SHELTER FOR SULPHUR FACTORY, TEXAS

GLASS PAVILION FOLDED STRUCTURE
MADE OF FIBER REINFORCED POLYMERS
 COMBINATION OF
06 MATERIALS
THIS STRUCTURE CONSISTS OF BROKEN RHOMBOID PLATES
MADE OF POLYESTER RESIN AND REINFORCED WITH STEEL
CONSTRUCTION. ALL THE INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE
ELEMENTS WERE ACHIEVED WITH SCREWS.
 04
CONSTRUCTION
DETAILS
 TAPERED FOLDED PLATES

FOLDED PLATE MAY BE BUILT WITH TAPERED ELEMENTS.

A FOLDED PLATE MAY BE USED FOR WALLS AS A THIN STRUCTURAL ELEMENT BY
CASTING EACH PLATE FLAT ON THE FLOOR AND GROUTING THE JOINTS
FULL OF CONCRETE. A WALL OF THIS TYPE CAN BE MADE MUCH THINNER THAN
A FLAT WALL.
THE HEIGHT OF THE SHELLS AT THE CENTER OF THE SPAN IS THE CRITICAL
DIMENSION FOR BENDING STRENGTH. THE STRUCTURE IS NOT VERY EFFICIENT AND
NOT SUITABLE FOR LONG SPANS BECAUSE OF THE EXCESS HEIGHT REQUIRED FOR
THE LARGE ENDS.
 FOLDED PLATE TRUSS

● THE TERM "FOLDED PLATE TRUSS" IS INTENDED TO INDICATE THE STRUCTURAL

ACTION OF THIS STRUCTURE .
● THERE ARE HORIZONTAL TIES ACROSS THE WIDTH ONLY AT THE ENDS OF THE
BUILDING.
● THE THRUSTS FROM THE TRIANGULAR CROSSED ARCHES ARE CARRIED
LENGTHWISE TO THE ENDS.
● THE TOP CHORD OF THE INCLINED TRUSS IS FORMED BY THE RIDGE MEMBER.
● THE BOTTOM CHORDS ARE THE TIES AT THE BASE OF THE SIDE GABLES AND THE
DIAGONALS ARE FORMED BY THE SLOPING VALLEYS AT THE INTERSECTION OF
THE GABLES AND THE TRIANGULAR PLATES.
 EDGE SUPPORTED FOLDED PLATES

● THE USUAL UPTURNED EDGE PLATE CAN BE ELIMINATED AND THE ROOF STRUCTURE
CAN BE MADE TO APPEAR VERY THIN IF THE EDGE PLATE IS REPLACED BY A SERIES OF
COLUMNS.

● THE SLAB BETWEEN COLUMNS MUST BE DESIGNED AS A BEAM AND IT MAY BE

CONVENIENT TO EXTEND THE MAIN ROOF SLAB AS A CANTILEVER CANOPY.

● THE BEAM ELEMENT THAT CARRIES THE LOAD OF THE ROOF BETWEEN COLUMNS WILL
THEN BE WIDER AND WINDOWS UNDER THE SLAB WILL HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION AS
IN THE PREVIOUS EXAMPLES OF FOLDED PLATES.

● THE VERTICAL COLUMNS IN THE END WALLS AT THE CROWN OF THE GABLE. THESE
TAKE THE REACTIONS OF THE PLATES AND THE HORIZONTAL TIES MAY BE ELIMINATED.
WIND LOADS ARE TAKEN BY RIGID FRAME ACTION IN THE COLUMNS AND STIFFENERS.
 FOLDED PLATE RIGID FRAME

● AN ARCH WITH STRAIGHT SEGMENTS IS SOMETIMES CALLED A RIGID FRAME.

● IT IS NOT AS EFFICIENT AS THE CURVED ARCH BECAUSE THE BENDING MOMENTS

ARE GREATER.

● TIES ACROSS THE PLATES ARE REQUIRED AT THE KNEES AND AT THE CROWN IN
ORDER TO DISTRIBUTE THE FORCES AT THE ENDS OF EACH SEGMENT.
 WALLS CONTINUOUS WITH SHELL

● IN THIS STRUCTURE THE WALLS ARE OF TILT-UP CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION;

CONCRETE IS CAST FLAT ON THE FLOOR AND RAISED INTO PLACE BY CRANES.

● THE WALLS ARE DESIGNED TO BE CONTINUOUS WITH THE ROOF PLATES. TILT-UP WALLS
USUALLY ARE JOINED BY POURED-IN-PLACE COLUMNS. IN THIS DESIGN, COLUMNS ARE
NOT NECESSARY AT THE JUNCTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SIDE WALL PANELS BECAUSE
THE WALLS ARE BRACED AT THE TOP.

● THE TILT-UP PANELS CAN SERVE AS THEIR OWN FOUNDATION WALLS SO ONLY A
CONTINUOUS FOOTING PAD IS USED WITH A NOTCH TO RECEIVE THE TILT-UP PANEL.
THE TILT-UP WALLS CAN BE DESIGNED FOR THIS LATERAL LOAD BECAUSE THEY ARE
HELD AT THE TOP BY THE SHELL AND ACT AS VERTICAL BEAMS RATHER THAN AS
CANTILEVER RETAINING.
 THREE SEGMENT FOLDED PLATES

● THE END STIFFENERS ARE RIGID FRAMES RATHER THAN DEEP GIRDERS.

● THE FORCES FROM THE REACTIONS OF THE SLOPING PLATES ON THESE RIGID FRAMES
WILL BE QUITE LARGE AND AT AN OUTSIDE COLUMN THEY WILL NOT BE BALANCED BY
THRUSTS FROM THE ADJACENT PLATES.

● THE SIZE OF THE FRAMES MAY BE REDUCED BY USING A STEEL TIE BETWEEN THE TOPS
OF THE COLUMNS WHICH CAN BE

● CONCEALED IN THE FENESTRATION. THE DIMENSIONS OF THE PLATES ARE DEPENDENT

ON BOTH THE WIDTH OF THE BARREL AND ON THE SPAN.

● THE DEPTH OF THE SHELL SHOULD BE ABOUT 0.10 TIMES THE SPAN AND THE MAXIMUM
SLOPE OF A PLATE SHOULD NOT BE GREATER THAN 40 DEGREES.
 05
PROCEDURE
THE ENTIRE PROCEDURE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOLDED PLATES IS
DIVIDED INTO TWO OPERATIONS: PRECASTING AND FIELD ERECTION.
1. CONSTRUCTION OF A
SINGLE PLATE
• LAYING THE
PRESSURIZING TENDONS.
• ADJUSTING LATERAL
FORMS TO PROPER PLATE
WIDTHS.
• PLACING WELDED WIRE
MESH FABRIC.
• TENSIONING OF THE
TENDONS. TENDONS
• PLACING OF THE
CONCRETE
SURFACE VIBRATION IS USED TO
NOTE: - . CONSOLIDATE THE CONCRETE
AND A SMOOTH FINISH IS
PROVIDED.
CONSTRUCTION OF
SINGLE PLATE

SURFACE VIBRATOR
2. OPERATION
● THE ELEMENTS OF
FOLDED PLATES ARE
MANUFACTURED IN A
FLAT POSITION
ERRECTION
● THEY ARE HINGED
TOGETHER OF
● FOLDED OVER FOR
HANDLING, STORAGE, PLATES
AND TRANSPORTATION.
● THUS, THIS PHASE OF
THE OPERATION IS
EXECUTED ON TWO-
DIMENSIONAL
ELEMENTS. 3. INSTALLATION
● AT THE JOB SITE, THE PLATES
ARE OPENED TO THE DESIGN
ANGLE INCLINATION, FORMING.
THIS MAKES THE OPERATION
MUCH SIMPLER THAN
HANDLING THREE
DIMENSIONAL
● OPERATION IS EXECUTED ON
TRANSPORTATION OF PLATES
 DISADVANTA
ADVANTAGE GE

• VERY LIGHT FORM OF CONSTRUCTION • SHUTTERING IS DIFFICULT

• THE USE OF CONCRETE AS A BUILDING
MATERIAL REDUCES BOTH
MATERIALS COST AND A
CONSTRUCTION COST.
• LONGER SPAN CAN B EPROVIDED
• FLAT SHAPES BY CHOOSING CERTAIN
ARCHED SHAPES
• ASTHETICALLY IT LOOKS GOOD OVER
THE OTHER FORM OF CONSTRUCTION. 
• GREATER ACCURACY IN FRAMEWORK
IS REQUIRED.
• GOOD LABOR AND SUPERVISION
NECESSARY
• RISE OF ROOF MAY BE A
DISADVANTAGE. 
CASE STUDY:YOKOHAMA PORT
TERMINAL
ARCHITECT :FOREIGN OFFICE ARCHITECTS .
LENGTH: 430M ,HEIGHT:15M, WIDTH: 70M
FLOOR AREA: 34,732M^2
 INTRODUCTION

• THE STEEL FRAME STRUCTURE WAS

DESIGNED WITH THE
BEAUTIFULSCENERY OF THE PORT IN
MIND.

• IT IS A THREE LEVEL FACILITY OF A

GENTLE CURVED FORM.

• THE OCCUPABLE ROOF CURVES BACK

IN TO FORM THE CEILING OF THE
LEVEL BELOW AND THEN AGAIN TO
FORM THE FLOOR.

• THE INISDE SPACE IS A BARRIER FREE

WITHOUT COLOUMNS OR BEAMS AND
THE VERTICAL CIRCULATION IS
ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH RAMPS
AND ELEVATORS.
 SITE AND GENERAL
THE MAJOR PIER POSSESSES
THE ABILITY TO HARBOUR
VESSELS OF VARYING SIZING
INCLUDING THE LARGEST
PASSENGER SHIPS. THE PORT
HAS BOTH PEDESTRAIN AND
VEHICULAR CONNECTION TO
THE MAINLAND.

FUNCTIONS

BASEMENT: MACHINERY ROOMS

FIRST FLOOR: PARKING
SECOND FLOOR: PASSENGER
TERMINAL
ROOF: ROOF PLAZA, VISITORS
DECK
 • THE TERMINAL IS A SHED BUILDING MEASURING
412M IN LENGTH AND COMPOSED OF 27 STEEL
TRUSSES AVERAGING 42.5M IN SPAN AND PLACED
AT 16M INTERVALS.
• THE TRUSSES ARE JOINED LONGITUDINALLY BY
TRUSSED MEMBERS OF CONVENTIONAL
CLADDING OR GLAZING.
• THE TRUSSES ARE CARRIED ON CONCRETE PIERS
EXTENDING FROM THE BASEMENT PARKING
LEVEL THROUGH THE SURFACES OF THE MAIN
LEVEL.

• THE LARGE SHED EMPLOYS A UNIFIED

FORM THOUGH REPETITIVE STRUCTURAL
UNITS TO ENCLOSE A SINGLE
HOMOGENEOUS SPACE.
• THE TRANSFORMATION YIELDS A COMPLEX
OF SPACES THAT SMOOTHLY INCORPORATES
THE MULTIPLE TERMINAL, CIVIC AND
GARDEN PROGRAMMES WITHIN AND
BELOW ITS SPAN.
CASE STUDY: AIR FORCE
ACADEMY CHAPEL, USA
ARCHITECT : WALTER NETSCH
LENGTH: 280FT ,HEIGHT:150FT, WIDTH:84FT.
YEAR:1962
 INTRODUCTION
• THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY
CADET CHAPEL COMPLETED IN 1962, IS A
DISTINGUISHUNG FEATURE OF THE CADET
AREA AT THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
ACADEMY NORTH OF COLORADO SPRINGS.

• IT WAS DESIGNED BY WALTER NETSCH OF

SKIDMORE, OWINGS AND MERRILL OF
CHICAGO.

• CONSTRUCTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY

ROBERT E. MC KEE, INC.,OF SANTA FE,NEW
MEXICO. ORIGINALLY CONTROVERSIAL IN ITS
DESIGN, THE CADET CHAPEL HAS BECOME A
CLASSIC AND HIGHLY REGARDED EXAMPLE OF
MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE.

• THE CADET CHAPEL WAS AWARDED THE

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS
NATIONAL TWENTY-FIVE YEAR AWARD IN 1996
AND AS PART OF THE CADET AREA, WAS
NAMED A U.S. NATIONAL HISTORIC
ARCHITECTURE CONSTRUCTION
• THE MOST STRIKING ASPECT OF THE
CHAPEL IS ITS ROW OF SEVENTEEN SPIRES.
THE ORIGINAL DESIGN CALLED FOR
TWENTY-ONE SPIRES, BUT THIS NUMBER
WAS REDUCED DUE TO BUDGET ISSUES.

• THE STRUCTURE IS A TUBULAR STEEL

FRAME OF 100 IDENTICAL TETRAHEDRONS,
EACH 75 FEET(23M) LONG, WEIGHING FIVE
TONS AND ENCLOSED WITH ALUMINIUM
PANELS

• THE TETRAHEDRONS COMPRISING THE

SPIRES ARE FILLED BY TRIANGULAR
ALUMINIUM PANELS, WHILE THE
TETRAHEDRONS BETWEEN THE SPIRES ARE
FILLED WITH A MOSAIC OF COLOURED
GLASS IN ALUMINIUM FRAME

• THE TETRAHEDRONS ARE SPACED A FOOT

APART, CREATING GAPS IN THE
 ARCHITECTURE CONSTRUCTION

• THE CADET CHAPEL ITSELF IS 150 FEET HIGH

, 280 FEET LONG, 84 FEET WIDE. THE FRONT
FAÇADE, ON THE SOUTH HAS A WIDE
GRANITE STAIRWAY WITH STEEL RAILINGS
CAPPED BY ALUMINIUM HANDRAILS
LEADINGS ON ONE STORY TO A LANDING.

• AT THE LANDINGS IS A BAND OF GOLD

ANODIZED ALUMINIUM DOOR AND GOLD
ANODIZED ALUMINIUM SHEETS
APPARENTLY COVERING ORIGINAL
WINDOWS.
 GROUP MEMBERS:
JYOTI WATWANI(6)
KHUSHBOO GEHLOT(11)
KHUSHI BAGLA(13)

THANK YOU 
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