FOLDED

PLATES
-THEORY
OF
STRUCTURE
Group Members:
•SHREYA ZOPE
•SHIVANI PATEL
•RAJASHREE PATIL
•TINA NAVNEET
 Outline

 Definition
 Folding Systems in Nature
 The Principle of Folding
 The Basic concept of Folding
 Structural Behaviour of Folding
 Types of Folded Structure
 The Application of Folded Structures
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Folded-Plate Structure
 Some Real Life Examples of Folded Plate Structure
 WHAT ARE FOLDED
PLATES?
Folded plates are assemblies of flat plates
rigidly connected together along their edges
in such a way that the structural system
capable of carrying loads without the need
for additional supporting beams along
mutual edges.

Engineer Eudene Freyssinet performed the first roof with the

folded structure in 1923 as an aircraft hangar at Orly Airport in
FOLDING SYSTEMS IN Paris.
NATURE
The principle of folding as a tool to develop a
general structural shape has been known for
a long time. Folded structure systems which
are analogous to several biological systems
such as found at broadleaf-tree leaves, petals
and foldable insect wings, are adopted to be
new, technical
employed in a
Leaf of Palm Beetle Insect Seash
way. Tree ell
With
Foldable Wings
THE BASIC CONCEPT OF FOLDING
 THE PRINCIPLE OF
FOLDING
The structural characteristics of folding
structures depend on:

• The pattern of the folding.

• Their geometrical basic shape.
• Its material.
• The connection of the different folding The Concept Of Stiffness
planes. Generation
• The design of the bearings.

• Movable form work can be

employed.

• Form work required is relatively

simpler.

• Design involves simpler calculations.

 STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF
FOLDING
Load Distribution process :
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.

Classification of folded structures based

on the material they are made of:
• Folded structures made of reinforced concrete Structural Condition Of Folding
• Metal folded structures Structures
• Folded structures of wood
• Folded structures of glass
• Folded structures of plastic materials
• Folded constructions made in combination of
different materials
 TYPES OF FOLDED
STRUCTURE
Based on geometric shape
folded structures can be
divided into:

•Folded plate surfaces structures :

oPrismatic: Rectangular plates.
oPyramidal: Non-rectangular plates.
oPrismoidal: Triangular or trapezoidal
oplates
•Folded plate frames structures
•Spatial folded plate structures

GEODESIC TAPERED FOLDED

FOLDED PLATE RIGID
DOME PLATES
FRAME
 BASIC ELEMENTS OF FOLDED
• PLATES:
The Inclined Plates.
• Edge plates which must be used to stiffen the wide plates,
• Stiffeners to carry the loads to the supports and to hold the plates
• in line. Columns to support the structure in the air.

TAPERED FOLDED PLATES:

•Folded plate structures may be built with tapered elements and only one of the many possible
combinations is shown here.
•The height of the shells at the center of the span is the critical dimension for bending strength. therefore,
the structure is not very efficient and not suitable for long spans because of the excess height required for
the large ends.
•Another weak element in this design is the transfer of shear from the small end of the triangular plate to
the large end. if a large number of units are used in each span, the transfer of loads may be difficult.
•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.

T
C
 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.
• This is truly a space structure and its structural action is as shown and, therefore, the architectural
appearance is mote subtle that the usual shell structure.

C
 FOLDED PLATE RIGID
• An arch FRAME:
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.
 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.
• Note 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.
 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.
• Only a simple grouted key slot is provided. 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.
• Dock height interior floors can be constructed by filling the interior of the building up with dirt to the
required height.
• 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
PLATE:
• The end stiffeners are rigid frames rather than deep Girders as in the last example.
• The forces from the reactions of the sloping plates on these rigid frames will be quire 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.
• For example, assume for the above structure that the span is 60 feet and the bay width is 24 feet. the
depth of the shell should be about 6 feet and the horizontal width of each plate with a three segment
plate should be about 8 feet.
• 6 the slope of the plates is 6/8, which is about 37 degrees and is satisfactory. the thickness of the
plates could be about 3 ½ inches.
THE APPLICATION OF FOLDED
STRUCTURES

 As Roof Structure  As Wall Structure

Miami Marine Stadium, Church of Notre Dame de
Florida Royan, France

 As Floor Structure  As Steel Sheet Piles

Mezzanine ceiling called Securing The Foundation Pit
"Kielsteg"
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FOLDED-
PLATE STRUCTURE
 Advantages:
• Very light form of construction. To span 30 m shell thickness
required is 60 mm only.
• The use of concrete as a building material reduces both materials
cost and a construction cost.
• Longer span can be provided.
• Flat shapes by choosing certain arched shapes.
• Aesthetically it looks good over other forms of construction.

 Disadvantages:
• Shuttering is difficult.
• Greater accuracy in formwork is required.
• Good labor and supervision necessary.
• Rise of roof may be a disadvantage.
 EXAMPLE : AIR FORCE ACADEMY
CHAPEL, USA:
Architect: Walter Netsch,
Length: 280 ft, Height: 150 ft, Width: 84 ft,
Year: 1962

•The United States Air Force Academy Cadet

Chapel, completed in 1962, is the distinguishing
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. McKee,
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 Landmark in 2004.

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 (23 m) long,
weighing five tons, and enclosed with Aluminium
panels.
• The tetrahedrons are spaced a foot
apart, creating gaps in the framework
that are filled with 1-inch-thick (25 mm)
coloured glass.
• 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 Cadet Chapel itself is 150 feet (46
m) high, 280 feet (85 m) long, and 84
feet
(26 m) wide. The front façade, on the
south, has a wide granite stairway with
steel railings capped by Aluminium
handrails leading up one story to a
landing.
• At the landing is a band of gold
anodized Aluminium doors, and gold
anodized aluminium sheets apparently
covering original windows.
 CASE STUDY: YOKOHAMA PORT
Architect: ForeignTERMINAL
Office Architects
Floor Area: 34,732 m2,
Length: 430m, Height: 15m, Width: 70m

INTRODUCTION
•The steel frame structure was designed with the
beautiful scenery 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 inside space is barrier free without columns 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 pedestrian and vehicular connection
to the mainland.
FUNCTIONS –
•Basement- machinery rooms
•First floor- parking
•Second floor- passenger terminal, multi-purpose space
•Roof- roof plaza, visitor’s deck
 • The terminal is a shed building measuring 412
meters in length and composed of 27 steel trusses
averaging 42.5 meters in span and placed at 16
meter intervals.
• The trusses are joined longitudinally by trussed
members of conventional configuration, and purlins
carrying, either metal cladding or glazing.
• The trusses are carried on concrete piers extending
from the basement parking level through the
surface 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.
 Some Real Life Examples of Folded Plate Structure

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo

Theatre,
Architect: Ali Imam,
Year: 2004,
Seating capacity: 275 people
 Some Real Life Examples of Folded Plate Structure
More In
Bangladesh:

Bangladesh National Kamalapur Rail

Museum Station
 Some Real Life Examples of Folded Plate Structure
More In
Bangladesh:

Mohakhali Bus Mausoleum Of Three

Terminal Leaders
FOLDED PLATE HUT-
JAPAN:
THANK
YOU!...