SHELL

STRUCTURES
DHRUV KOHLI 642
APRAJITA GUPTA 643
SHIV DAYAL 644

INTRODUCTION

A SHELL STRUCTURE IS A THIN CURVED MEMBRANE OR

SLAB USUALLY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE THAT
FUNCTIONS BOTH AS STRUCTURE AND COVERING.

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
TORTISE.

SINGLE CURVATURE
SHELL

SINGLE CURVATURE SHELL: ARE CURVED ON ONE

LINEAR AXIS AND ARE A PART OF A CYLINDER OR
CONE IN THE FORM OF BARREL VAULTS AND CONOID
SHELLS.

DOUBLE CURVATURE
SHELL

DOUBLE CURVATURE SHELL: ARE EITHER PART OF A

SPHERE,AS A DOME OR A HYPERBOLOID OF
REVOLUTION.

DEVELOPABLE SURFACES
(SINGLY CURVED)

DEVELOPABLE SURFACE IS A SURFACE THAT CAN BE

UNROLLED ONTO A FLAT PLANE WITHOUT TEARING
OR STRETCHING IT.
IT IS FORMED BY BENDING A FLAT PLANE, THE MOST
TYPICAL SHAPE OF A DEVELOPABLE SHELL IS A
BARREL.
BARREL SHELL IS CURVED ONLY IN ONE DIRECTION

NON-DEVELOPABLE SURFACES (DOUBLY

CURVED) :

Most smooth surfaces (and most surfaces in general) are not

developable surfaces. Non-developable surfaces are
variously referred to as having "double curvature", "doubly
curved etc
Spheres are not developable surfaces under any metric as
they cannot be unrolled onto a plane.
Some other examples includes Helicoid, Hyperbolic
Paraboloid and Hyperboloid.

CONSTRUCTION
MATERIAL

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 CONCERETE
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.

ADVANTAGES

VERY LIGHT FORM OF CONSTRUCTION

TO SPAN 30m SHELL THICKNESS REQUIRED IS .6m
DEAD LOAD CAN BE REDUCED ECONOMIZING
FOUNDATION AND SUPPORTING SYSTEM
THEY FURTHER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT
ARCH SHAPES CAN SPAN LONGER THAN FLAT SHAPES
BY CHOOSING CERTAIN CURVILINEAR PLANE
AESTHETICALLY IT LOOKS GOOD OVER OTHER FORMS
OF CONSTRUCTION

DISADVANTAGES

SHUTTERING PROBLEM
GREATER ACCURACY IN FORMWORK IS REQUIRED
GOOD LABOUR AND SUPERVISION IS NECESSARY
RISE OF ROOF MIGHT BE A DISADVANTAGE AS PER
THE REQUIREMENTS

CASE STUDY
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
AR. JOHN ULTZON

THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE SPANS UP TO 164 FEET

THE ARCHES ARE SUPPORTED BY OVER 350KM OF
TENSIONED STEEL CABLE.
THE SHELL THICKNESS GOES FROM 3 TO 4 INCHES
ALL SHELLS WEIGHT A TOTAL OF 15 TONS
THIS INVOLVED LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS AND
BUILDING A PODIUM 82 FEET (25 M) ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
MORE THAN 39,239 CUBIC FEET (30,000 M3) OF ROCK
AND SOIL WERE REMOVED BY EXCAVATORS.
THE FOUNDATION WAS BUILT ATOP A LARGE ROCK
THAT SAT IN SYDNEY HARBOUR. THE SECOND STAGE
SAW THE BUILDING OF THE SHELLS, THE PODIUM
STRUCTURE, THE STAGE TOWER, AND THE
NECESSARY MACHINERY.

Thanks for listening, apparently!