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Concrete shell structures are made of steel-reinforced concrete and have been popular since the early 20th century. They can be elaborate or utilitarian and require careful design for weight distribution, durability, and stability. The style declined in popularity due to changes in architectural style and rising steel costs, but new technologies may make them more cost-effective. Famous examples include the Sydney Opera House and Hershey Sports Arena.
A concrete shell, also known as thin shell concrete, is a structure made up of steel-reinforced concrete. It’s a sturdy and durable style that began to grow in popularity in the early 20th century. The concrete shell design has been used for a wide variety of structures, from sports arenas and performing arts venues to military facilities and boat hulls.
There are several styles of concrete shell, including dome, barrel shell, and bent plate. They can be elaborate or utilitarian, depending on their intended use, construction budget, and weight and space requirements. For the most part, these structures have no buttresses on the external or internal load-bearing columns.
As the structure often needs to provide its own support, it is important that concrete shells are carefully designed for proper weight distribution, durability and stability. The structures can be made either from panels cast on site or from delivered prefabricated panels. In some cases, thick steel ribs or bars provide extra support for the panels. Other types of concrete shell structures are made of foam and reinforced with concrete poured on top.
The concrete shells date back to ancient times. The earliest known structure of this type is the Roman Pantheon, believed to have been built around AD 125. As an indication of the durability of this type of building, it is still standing today.
A pair of German engineers developed the first modern concrete shell roof design in the early 1920s. Over the next two decades, the style spread to other nations, first across Europe and then to the United States of America and Australia. Some famous concrete shell structures include the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia and the Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The use of the concrete shell design eventually declined in popularity, mainly due to changes in architectural style and the rising cost of steel for roof supports. Some builders dispute the notion that concrete shells have become too expensive to build as the cost of concrete tends to be lower than many other types of building materials and thus balances out the higher cost of the steel element. There are also new technologies, such as the ability to pump concrete up to the upper reaches of the structure, which are believed to reduce the time, effort and cost required to complete a concrete envelope project.
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