SUB : ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS

FOLDED PLATES
TOPICS DISCUSSED

PRINCIPLES
TYPES
USES
ABOUT FOLDED STRUCTURES
TYPES OF FOLDED STRUCTUCTURES
FOLDED PLATE ROOF/SLAB
FOLDED PLATES TRUSS
FOLDED PLATES ?

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

inclined in different directions and joined along their
longitudinal edges. In this way the structural system is capable
of carrying loads without the need for additional supporting
beams along mutual edges

This technique originated in Germany in the 1920s and became popular in Russia and the United States during
the 1930s to construct roof for industrial warehouse and Public buildings.

FOLDING SYSTEM IN NATURE

The principle of folding as a tool to develop ageneral structural shape has

been known for along time. Folded structure syns which areanalogous to
several biological systems such asfound at broadleaf-tree leaves, petals and
foldableinsect wings, are adopted to be employed in anew, technical way.
PRINCIPLES OF FOLDING
THE STRUCURAL CHARACTORISICS OF FOLDING STRUCTURES DEPENDS ON

The pattern of the folding.

Their geometrical basic shape.

Its material.

The connection of the different folding planes.

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

It is ideally suited for variety of structures such as

factory buildings, Auditoriums,

assembly halls, gymnasia,

godowns, requiring large column free area.

TYPES OF FOLDED PLATES
Prismatic : Rectangular plates.
Pyramidal : Non-rectangular plates.
Prismoidal : Triangular or trapezoidal plates

And the commonly used shapes of folded plates are

V-type
Trough type
Combination of V and Trough type
R.C.C .

Modern folded plate structures are typically made of cast

in situ or precast reinforced concrete, or steel plate
CLASSIFICATION OF FOLDED STRUCTURES BASED ON
THE MATERIAL THEY ARE MADE OF:

folded structures made of reinforced concrete

metal folded structures

folded structures of wood

folded structures of glass

folded structures of plastic materials

folded constructions made in combination of different materials

Folded structures are three-dimensional structures - spatial structures
and they belong to the structural systems.

The term folded structure defines a folded form of construction,

including structures derived from elements which from a folded
structures by their mutual relationship In space.

There are different ways of constructing folded structure in terms of

their forms and the application of different materials they are made of.

ABOUT FOLDED STRUCTURES

Folded structures the most cost effective constructions,

they use less material because of their high stiffness in the
plane of maximum bending in the direction of the range.
 Folded structures differ in
geometric form, the form. of a base over which they are performed ,the manner of performance methods of
forming stiffness ,function and position in the building, and the material they are made of.

Types of folded structures

Fold based on geometric shape folded structures can be divided into:

a) Folded plate surfaces

b) Folded plate frames
c) Spatial folded plate structures

Folded structures in the plane are the structures in which all the
highest points of the elements and all the elements of the lowest points
of the folded structure belong to two parallel planes

Spatial folded structures are the type of a structure in which a spatial

constructive set is formed by combining mutually the elements of a
folded structure
 FOLDED PLATE ROOFS
 with a number of folds folded plate roofs can be looked as slab. These roofs are also called as, prismatic
shells. hipped plates and faltwerke.
 In these structures bending is also reduced and lot of load gets transferred as membrane is in
compression.
 On the other hand folded plates are not as efficient as shells.
 V-shaped folded plates are ideally suited for a variety of structures such as factory buildings, assembly
halls, godowns, Auditoriums and gymnasia, requiring large column free area. Folded plates were first
used for large coal bunkers by G.Ehlers of Germany in 1924-25.
 The structural behavior of folded plates resembles that of shells and they can be considered as examples
of stressed skin construction
 Folded plates belong to the class of stressed-skin structures which, because of their geometry and small
flexural rigidity of the skin, tend to carry loads primarily by direct stresses acting in their plane
FOLDED PLATE TRUSS:
The term "folded plate truss" is intended to indicate the structural
action of this structure

There are honzontal 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 chond of the indined truss is formed by the ridpt member

The bottom chords are the ties at the base of the side gables and the
diagonals are formed by the sloting 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 appearanceis mote subtle that the usual
shell structure
TAPERED FOLDED PLATES :

FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURES MAY BE BUILT WITH TAOERED ELEMENTS AND ONLYONE OF THE
MANY POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS.

THE HEIGHT OF THE SHELL ATTHE CENTRE OF THE SPAN IS THE CRITICAL DIMENSION FOR
BENDING STRENGTH .

THE STRUCTURE IS NOT VERY EFFICIENT AND NOT SUITABLE FORLONG SPANS BECAUSE OF
THE EXCESS HEIGHT REQUIRED FOR THE LARGE ENDS .

ANOTHER WEAK ELEMENT IN THE DESIGN IHE 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 A THIN STRUCTURAL ELEMENT BY CASTING
EACH PLATE FLAT ON THE FLOOR AND GROUTED
THE JOINTS FULL OF CONCRETE.

A WALL OF THIS TYPE CAN BE MADE MUCH

THINNER THAN A FLAT WALL.
FOLDED PLATE RIGID FRAME :

AN ARCH WITH STRAIGHT SEGMENTS 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 THE CROWN IN ORDER TO
DISTRIBUTE THE FORCES AT THE ENDS OF EACH SEGMENT .
EDGE SUPPORTED FLODED PLATES :

THE USUAL UPTURNED EDGE PLATE CAN BE ELIMINATED AND THE ROOF STRUCTURE CAN
BE MADE TO APPEAR VERY THAN 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 VERTICAL COLUMNS IN TE END WALLS AT 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 .
HISTORY OF FOLDED PLATES :

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF FOLDED STRUCTURES OCCURS

AT THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF REINFORCED CONCRETE .

THE BASIC IDEA OF CREATING THIS TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION

IS STRIVING TO ACHIEVE MORE CONSTRUCTIVE HEIGHT AND
GREATER RIGIDITY AND REDUCE THE NET WEIGHT OF THE
STRUCTURAL ELEMENT .

IN TECHNOLOGICAL TERMS THIS FLODED CONSTRUCTION IS

MADE OF PREFABRICATED ELEMENTS . WITH PRE -STRESSED
STRUCTURE ,WHICH IS A REMARKABLE ENGINEERING UNDERTAKING
OF THE TIME BASED ON THE APPLICATION OF THIS PRE -STRESSED
STRUCTURE ENDENE FREYSSINET HAS BEEN CALLED “ THE FATHER OF
PRE - STRESSD CONCRETE “
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 CONTINOUS WITH THE ROOF PLATES. TILT-UP WALLS USUALLY
ARE JOINED BY POURED -IN -PLACE COLUMNS .IN THIS DESIGN , COLUMNS ARE NOT NECESSARY
AT HTE JNCTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SIDE WALL PANELS BECAUSE THE WALLS ARE BRAACED AT
THE TOP .

ONLY A SIMPLE GROUTED KEY SLOT IS PROVIDED .

THREE SEGMENT FOLDED PLATE :

THE END STIFFENERS ARE RIGID FRAMES RATHER THAN DEEP GRIDERS.

THE FORCES FROM THE REACTIONS OF THE SLOPPING 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 .
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FOLDED -PLATE STRUCTURE :

ADVANTAGES:

• VERY LIGHT FORM OF CONSTRUCTION .TO SPAN 30M SHELL THICKNESS REQUIRED IS 60 MM .
• 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 FRAMEWORK IS REQUIRED .
• GOOD LABOUR AND SUPERVISION NECESSARY .
• RISE OF ROOF MAY BE A DISADVANTAGE .
THANK YOU

SUBMMITED BY :
18C11C4001 - SAI KUMAR .B

18C11C4006 - ABHINAV

18C11C4027 - JAYA LAKSHMI .S