MODERN CONSTRUCTION

TECHNOLOGY

SHELL AND DOME

STRUCTURES

March, 2022
Outline

 Background
 Types of shell and dome structures.
 Construction Principles of shell and
dome structures
 Examples of shell construction

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Sydney Opera House

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Axum Tsion St. Maryam

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Lotus Temple, New Delhi

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Valencia Aquarium, Spain

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Valencia Aquarium, Spain

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Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects

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 What is a shell?

 The word shell is an old

one and is commonly
used to describe the
hard covering of eggs,
tortoises, etc.

 The word shell is

derived from the Latin
Giant clam shell
scalus, as in fish scale.

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 What is a shell?

 The term “shell” is used to describe the structures

which possess strength and rigidity due to its thin,
natural and curved form such as shell of egg, a nut,
human skull, and shell of tortoise.

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 Definition of shell and dome structures
Shell may be defined as the bidimensional curved
element that has tendency to carry loads mainly in
direct compression or tension, rather than in bending
and in shear.

A shell structure is a thin curved membrane or slab

usually of reinforced concrete that functions both as
structure and covering.

It might be curved in two directions, like a dome or a

cooling tower, or it may be cylindrical and curve only in
one direction.
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CONT.
• Present-day shells originate from Egyptian, Assyrian,
and Roman civilizations, in which arched and vaulted
structures were erected, using stone masonry and
rudimentary types of concrete as the building material.

The Pantheon in Rome

It is a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome.
it was built and dedicated between A.D 118 and 125.

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CONT.
• Hagia Sophia is an enormous architectural marvel in
Istanbul, Turkey. that was originally built as a Christian
basilica nearly 1,500 years ago.

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CONT.
Chapel Lomas de Cuernavaca by
Felix Candela, Mexico [1951]
hyperbolic parabolic shell.
Is self-supporting and has the
dramatic curvature, striking height,
and visible thinness that represent
the frontiers of the form. [21m]

Palazzetto dello Sport

by Pier Luigi Nervi,
indoor arena, Rome
it was inaugurated in
1957.
The arena is constructed
with a ribbed concrete shell
dome, that is 61 meters in
diameter, and is constructed
of 1,620 prefabricated
concrete pieces,
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 The demand for shell and dome structures

 Large span areal coverage(column free space)

 Aesthetical element
 Innovation
 Simplicity

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CONT.

• Shells belong to the family of arches .

They can be defined as curved or
angled structures capable of
transmitting loads in more than two
directions to supports.
• A shell with one curved surface is
known as a vault (single curvature ).
e.g. cylinders and cones
• A shell with doubly curved surface is
known as a dome (double curvature).
e.g. sphere or hyperbolic paraboloid.

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CONT.

 There are many different ways to classify shell

structures but three ways are common:
1. Shell Geometry
2. The material which the shell is made of: like
reinforced concrete, plywood or steel, because
each one has different properties that can
determine the shape of the building and
therefore, these characteristics have to be
considered in the design.
3. The shell thickness: shells can be thick or thin.
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BASIC FORMS OF SHELLS

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Application examples

 Examples of the impact of shell structures include

- Sport salon, Terminals, Hall
- Water cooling towers for power stations,
- Grain silos, armour
- Arch dams, tunnels, submarines, and so forth.

 The essential ingredients of a shell structure in all of the

foregoing examples are continuity and curvature.

 These structures have quite a different mode of action

from skeletal structures, of which simple examples are
trusses, frameworks, and trees.

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 STRESS PATH/LOAD PATH

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1. Barrel shells
• A barrel vault is a
continuous arched
shape that may
approximate a semi-
cylinder in form,
resembling the roof
of a tunnel, or may
be pointed at its
apex.
• It is typically formed by a
series of arches or vaults
placed side by side or by
a continuous shell.
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Barrel Vaults are perhaps the most useful of the shell structures
because they can span up to 150 feet (45 meter) with a minimum of
material.
They are very efficient structures because the use of the arch form to
reduce stresses and thickness in the transverse direction .

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• The structural behavior of the barrels
shell is that it carries load longitudinally
as a beam and transversally as an arch.
and therefore, the materials have to
resist both compression and tension
stresses.
• This factor takes advantage of the bars of
the reinforced concrete, because these
elements can be placed where tension
forces are needed and therefore, the
span to thickness Ratios can be
increased.
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 2. Folded plates
A thin-walled building structure of
the shell type.

Advantages of Folded Plate Roofs over Shell Roofs

are:
(a) Movable form work can be employed.
(b) Form work required is relatively simpler.
(c) Design involves simpler calculations.

Disadvantages of Folded Plate Roofs over Shell

Roofs are:
(a) Folded plate consumes more material than
shells.
(b) Form work may be removed after 7 days
whereas in case of shells it can be little earlier.

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3. Hyperbolic Paraboloid
(Hypar)

A Hypar is a surface curved in two

directions that can be designed as a
shell or warped lattice.

A hypar is triangular, rectangular or

rhomboidal in plan, with corners raised
to the elevation desired for use and/or
appearance. The edges of Hypars are
typically restrained by stiff hollow
column that collect & transfer roof loads
to the foundations.

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4. Various Double Curvature

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5. Dome

A rounded roof, with a

circular base, shaped like
an arch in all directions.

First used in much of the

Middle East and North
Africa where it spread to
other parts of the Islamic
world, because of its
distinctive form the dome
has, like the minaret,
become a symbol of Islamic
architecture.

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Dome has double curvature and the
resulting structure is much stiffer and
stronger than a single curved surface,
such as a barrel shell.

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6. Translation Shells

A translation shell is a
dome set on four arches.
The shape is different
from a spherical dome and
is generated by a vertical
circle moving on another
circle. All vertical slices have
the same radius.

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 SUITABLE MATERIALS FOR SHELL
STRUCTURES

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 concrete 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.

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 CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

Centering of shells
 Centering is the term used to
describe the necessary temporary
support on which the curved RCC 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 dome and

hyperboloid of revolution is more
complex due to additional labor and
wasteful cutting of materials to form
support for shapes that are not of
uniform linear curvature.
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 Cont’d
Construction of RCC barrel vaults

The barrel vault is the most straight forward single

curvature shell construction.
It is the part of a cylinder or barrel with same curvature
along its length
The barrel vaults are used as parking, market place,
assembly hall, etc.
There are two types of barrel vaults; short and long span
once.

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Cont’d

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Cont’d

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Cont’d

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Cont’d

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• Advantages of Concrete Shells
-The curved shapes are naturally strong structures,
allowing wide areas without the use of internal
supports, giving an open, unobstructed interior.
-The use of concrete reduces both materials cost and
the construction cost, as concrete is relatively
inexpensive and easily cast into compound curves.
• Disadvantages of Concrete Shells
-Since concrete is porous material, concrete domes
often have issues with sealing. If not treated, rainwater
can seep through the roof.
- The seamless construction of concrete domes
prevents air from escaping, and can lead to buildup of
condensation.
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 CASE STUDY- SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE:

• A series of large precast concrete "shells", each composed of

sections of a sphere, forming the roofs of the structure, set on a
monumental podium. Construction started: 1959-1973
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 Thank you!

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