BUILDING STRUCTURE AND

AESTHAETICS
Lecture # 4
Shell Structure

27th Oct, 2020

Dr. Khuram Rashid

1
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Introduction
“These can be defined as a structural curved skin covering a given
plan shape or area.”
Or
“A thin curved membrane or slab usually of reinforced concrete
that functions both as structure and covering like egg shell, tortoise
shell etc”
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Single Or Double Curvature Shells

Single Curvature Shell
These are curved on one linear axis and are a part of a cylinder or
cone in the form of barrel vaults or cylindrical shells and conoid
shells.
Double Curvature Shell
These are either part of a sphere, or a hyperboloid of revolution.
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Forms of Curvature
1 Surfaces of Revolution

Surfaces of revolution are generated by

the revolution of a plane curve, called
the meridional about an axis, called the
axis of revolution.
For Example
Cylinders, cones, spherical or
elliptical domes, hyperboloids of
revolution, toroids.
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Forms of Curvature
2 Surfaces of Translation
Surfaces of Translation are generated by sliding a plane curve along
another plane curve/straight, while keeping the orientation of the
sliding curve constant.
The curve on which the original curve slides, is called the generator
of the surface.
Middle fig. In a special case in which the generator is a straight line,
the resultant surface is called a cylindrical surface.
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Forms of Curvature
3 Hyperbolic Paraboloids
• The true hyperbolic paraboloid shell roof shape is generated by
moving a vertical parabola (the directrix) over another vertical
parabola (the generator) set at right angles to the moving parabola.
• The resultant shape is not very suitable for roofing purposes
therefore only part of the saddle shape is used and this is formed
by joining the centre points thus:-
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3 Hyperbolic Paraboloids
• To obtain a more practical shape than the true saddle a straight line
limited hyperbolic paraboloid is used.
• This is formed by raising or lowering one or more corners of a
square forming a warped parallelogram thus:-
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4 Ruled Surface
• Ruled surfaces are generated by sliding each end of a straight
line on their own generating curve.
• These lines are not necessary at right angle to the planes containing
the end curves.
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5 Conoids

• These are double curvature

shell roofs which can be
considered as an
alternative to barrel vaults.
• Typical chord to span ratio
1:2
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6 Folded Plate
The effect of folding on folded plates can be visualized with sheet of
paper.

• A flat paper deforms under its own weight

• Folding the paper adds strength and stiffness.
• Folded paper yet under heavy load may buckle.
• Secured ends increases stability and help resist buckling.
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6 Folded Plate Behavior

Folded plates combine slab action with beam action.
• In length direction they act like thin inclined beams of great depth,
stabilized against buckling at top and bottom by adjoining plates.
• In width direction they are one-way slabs that span between
adjacent plates.

Folded Plate Concept Beam action in length direction

a) Bending deformation causes top compression and bottom tension.
b) Horizontal shear caused by compression and tension.
c) Vertical shear is maximum at supports and zero at mid span.
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6 Folded Plate Behavior

• Bending in folded plates causes top
compression and bottom tension.
• Folded plates also tend to flatten out under
gravity load, which may be prevented by Buckled end panels
walls or frames at end supports. End panels stabilized by edge
• Tendency of end panel buckling can be beams
resisted by edge beams.

• Flattened folded plate under gravity load.

• Folded plate with walls and frames to
Bending visualized as external
resist flattening.
compression and tension forces.
• Stabilizing wall/frame at support, for long
systems, at mid-span.
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7 Folded Plate Forms

Folded plates may have many one-way, two, or three way spans.
They may be motivated by:
Aesthetic or spatial objectives
• Or to add strength and stability to a system
• In snowy areas these can be problematic.

Folded plate with one straight and

one gabled edge
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7 Folded Plate Forms

Three-way folded plate unit and assembly

on triangular base plan

Folded plate with gabled edges

offset at mid-span

Two-way folded plate unit and assembly

on square base plan

Folded plate with vertical support

folding and gables offset at mid- Three-way folded plate unit and assembly
span on hexagonal base plan
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8 Cylindrical shells/ Barrel Vaults

These are single curvature shells
• The shape effect of cylinder shells can be
visualized with paper.
• A flat paper deforms even under its own weight.
• To roll or bend paper into cylindrical shapes adds
strength and stiffness.
• but heavy load may flatten and buckle the paper.
• Securing both ends prevents buckling.
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8 Cylindrical shells/ Barrel Vaults

• A barrel vault acts as a beam whose span is equal to the length of the roof.
• Like beams under gravity load, bending in cylindrical shells cause
compressive stress on top and tensile stress at the bottom.
• Differential bending stress, pushing and pulling on top and bottom generates
horizontal shear stress in cylindrical shells.

Compressive stress Horizontal Vertical shear Wall panels to Ribs to resist

on top, tensile stress shear resist buckling buckling
at bottom with some
arch action
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8 Cylindrical shells/ Barrel Vaults

Types of Barrel Vaults
Usual span of the longitudinal barrel
vault is from 12-30m with its width
being about ½ the span and rise is 1/10
of the span.
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8 Cylindrical shells/ Barrel Vaults

Typical Single Barrel Vault Principles
Usual span of the longitudinal barrel vault is from 12-30m with its
width being about ½ the span and rise is 1/10 of the span.
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8 Cylindrical shells/ Barrel Vaults

Configurations
Cylindrical shells can have various configurations: cross-sections of
half or quarter cylinders, they may be simply supported,
cantilevered, or span two supports with one or two overhangs.
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9 Skylight
• Various skylight forms maybe integrated with cylindrical shells.
• This has been a popular solution for natural lighting of industrial
buildings.
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10 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 usual materials employed in shell
roof construction are in-situ reinforced
concrete and timber.
• Concrete shell roofs are constructed over
formwork which in itself is very often a
shell roof making this format expensive
since the principle of use and reuse of
formwork can not normally be applied
and wasteful cutting of materials to form
support for shapes that are not of uniform
linear curvature.
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