What are the types of shell

structures?
and how do they work?
We will review the behavior of four commonly occurring
Shell Types:
Barrel Vault
Dome
Hyperbolic Paraboloid (Hypar)
An additional discussion of shell types is available at http://www.ketchum.org/ShellTandF/index.html
You can browse this discussion by clicking here.
Folded Plate
Domes
The primary response of a dome to loading is development of membrane
compressive stresses along the meridians, by analogy to the arch.
The dome also develops compressive or tensile membrane stresses along lines of
latitude. These are known as hoop stresses and are tensile at the base and
compressive higher up in the dome.
The next slides will show that additional bending stresses result in the shell as
a result of restraint at the support, or unrestrained edges
Meridional Compressive Stress
Circumferential Hoop Stress (comp.)
Circumferential Hoop Stress (tens.)
This animation shows the additional bending near the support that
results from the restraint of the support for a half-dome shell.
Click to compare to the previous animation of an unrestrained shell
Effect of Support Restraint
Low rise domes develop compressive membrane forces along
the meridian lines, and compressive membrane forces only
along the circumferential lines.
This slide shows a low rise shell that does not develop tensile membrane stresses. The
tensile stresses (shown in red) result from the restraint of the edge, and the resulting
bending of the shell.
The magnitude of these stresses would normally be sufficient to cause cracking of the
shell.
Bending due to edge
restraint
The half-dome shell does develop membrane tensile stresses,
below about 50 north latitude. These are also known as
hoop stresses
In this figure, the blue color
represents zones of
compressive stress only. The
colors beyond blue represent
circumferential tensile stresses,
intensifying as the colors move
towards the red.
A dome that is a segment of a
sphere not including latitudes
less than 50 does not develop
significant hoop tension.
Effect of unrestrained edges: half-dome shell
This image shows a low-rise spherical dome cut along
the edges. The center part of the dome is experience
primarily compression (blue). However near the
disturbances along the free edge, large tensile stresses
and large deformations are developing.
The patent claim for this system says, in part,
The shells of rotation of former days had
their principal stressesin the direction of the
meridians and rings only. In the dome of the
present invention, the combination of dome
action and bending action in the shell involves
a decided change in direction and magnitude
of the stresses. In a shell embodying the
present invention, the principal stresses at the
crown or upper portion are of the same
character as in a dome, being meridinal and in
circles normal to the meridians. As the eves or
boundaries of the shell herein described are
approached, the stresses change and are
directed laterally across the corners near the
columns. The maximum change is to be found
at the eaves line where the shell is connected
to the eaves members.
The shells designed and patented by Dischinger and Finsterwalder overcome the potential
problem of bending due to unrestrained edges by the use of stiffening beams or diaphragms
around the perimeter, and overcome the problem of circumferential tension by use of a low
rise dome.
Barrel Vault
A barrel vault functions two ways
In the transverse
direction, it is an arch
developing compressive
membrane forces that
are transferred to the
base of the arch
When unsupported along its length, it is more like a beam,
developing compressive membrane forces near the crown of
the arch, and tensile membrane forces at the base.
Arch
(compression)
tension
compression
Barrel Vaults
A barrel vault is a simple extension of an arch shape along the width. It can be
supported on continuous walls along the length, or at the corners, as in this
example. If supported on the corners, it functions as an arch across the width, and
as a beam, with compression on the top and tension on the bottom in the long
direction. This form is susceptible to distortion.
Barrel Vault, continued
As with any arch, some form of lateral restraint is required--this
figure shows the influence of restraining the base of the arch--the
structure is still subject to transverse bending stresses resulting
from the distortion of the arch.
Barrel Vault, conclusion
This structure has been provided with solid diaphragms at the ends to
resist distortion. A further discussion of diaphragms for barrel-vaulted
shells is available at http://www.ketchum.org/ShellTandF/index.html
(click here, then click on Barrel Vaults)
In contrast to the constructions of former days,
in which singly curved roofs had supporting
capacity only in the direction of the arch, a
carrying action in the direction of the
generating line of an arched shell, between
widely spaced stiffening supports, is attained
by the features of the present invention. It is,
for instance, possible to construct a barrel shell
roof of 2 inch thickness and 45 foot arch width
over a span length of 150 feet or more in the
direction of the generating line, if the shell,
suitably stiffened by widely spaced stiffening
membersis reinforced by an arrangement of
bars.
(Notes: the reinforcing is indicated by c. Review the previous slides
for the importance of the stiffening members)
The action of a barrel vault can be
reviewed in light of Dischingers
(the inventor of the thin-shell
concrete structure) patent claims.
Folded Plates
Folded plate structures were widely favored for their
simplicity of forming, and the variety of forms that were
available.
Perpendicular to the main
span, the shell acts as short
span plates in transverse
bending
In the main span direction, the shell
develops membrane tension at the top
and compression at the bottom, in
analogy to a beam in bending
Click here to compare to barrel vault
Whats wrong with this Folded Plate Structure?
Compare to the discussion of barrel vaults, and see if you can tell what key
element is missing from the folded plate shown. Click on the picture, if you need
to see the action of the shell under load, or click on the answer below.
Answer (click here)


It is missing transverse diaphragms, especially
at the ends.
This animation shows the effect of adding a diaphragm at the
two ends and at midspan. The folded plate shell distorts much
less.
Hyperbolic Paraboloid
The hyperbolic paraboloid was favored by a number of shell
designers because it is relatively easy to form (the surface can be
formed using straight lines, and because it lends itself to a variety
of imaginative shapes.
A hyperbolic paraboloid results from the division of two skew lines (the generators)
into equal segments, and connecting the points on the two lines with straight lines.
Both of these shapes are generated by hyperbolic paraboloids.
Sharply skewed lines can be
used to create fanciful forms.
Hypars can be laid out on a
square planin this figure,
four hypars are joined to
make a regular bay that can
be repeated over a large plan.
Hyperbolic Paraboloid, continued
A low-rise hyperbolic paraboloid supported only at the
corners develops membrane shear stresses only (stresses in
the plane of the face of the shell).
As these idealized support conditions are never fully realized,
disturbances (large bending and membrane normal stresses)
result along the edges.
This plot shows relatively uniform shear stresses throughout
the shell, with stress concentrations at the corners, and
bending deformations along the edges.
End of Section
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