Modern Concrete Shell Construction
Modern thin concrete shells, which began to appear in the 1920s, are made from thin steel reinforced concrete, and in many cases lack any ribs or additional reinforcing structures, relying wholly on the shell structure itself.
Shells may be cast in place, or pre-cast off site and moved into place and assembled. The strongest form of shell is the monolithic shell, which is cast as a single unit. The most common monolithic form is the dome, but ellipsoids and cylinders (resembling concrete Quonset huts / Nissen huts) are also possible using similar construction methods.
Geodesic domes may be constructed from concrete sections, or may be constructed of a lightweight foam with a layer of concrete applied over the top. The advantage of this method is that each section of the dome is small and easily handled. The layer of concrete applied to the outside bonds the dome into a semi-monolithic structure.
Monolithic domes are cast in one piece out of reinforced concrete and date back to the 1960s. Advocates of these domes consider them to be cost-effective and durable structures, especially suitable for areas prone to natural disasters. They also point out the ease of maintenance of these buildings. Monolithic domes can be built as homes, office buildings, or for other purposes.
Completed in 1963, the University of Illinois Assembly Hall, located in Champaign, Illinois was and is the first ever concrete-domed arena. The design of the new building, by Max Abramovitz, called for the construction of one of the world’s largest edge-supported structures. See Construction of Assembly Hall.
The Seattle Kingdome was the world's first (and only) concrete-domed multi-purpose stadium. It was completed in 1976 and demolished in 2000. The Kingdome was constructed of triangular segments of reinforced concrete that were cast in place. Thick ribs provide additional support.
Read more about this topic: Concrete Shell
Famous quotes containing the words modern, concrete, shell and/or construction:
“The critical method which denies literary modernity would appear—and even, in certain respects, would be—the most modern of critical movements.”
—Paul Deman (1919–1983)
“Don’t feel guilty if you don’t immediately love your stepchildren as you do your own, or as much as you think you should. Everyone needs time to adjust to the new family, adults included. There is no such thing as an “instant parent.”
Actually, no concrete object lies outside of the poetic sphere as long as the poet knows how to use the object properly.”
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)
“How then can we account for the persistence of the myth that inside the empty nest lives a shattered and depressed shell of a woman—a woman in constant pain because her children no longer live under her roof? Is it possible that a notion so pervasive is, in fact, just a myth?”
—Lillian Breslow Rubin (20th century)
“When the leaders choose to make themselves bidders at an auction of popularity, their talents, in the construction of the state, will be of no service. They will become flatterers instead of legislators; the instruments, not the guides, of the people.”
—Edmund Burke (1729–1797)