Use of Pervading Internal Shell-Type Substructures to Dissolve Compact Components

The central aim of subproject C01 is modify mostly massive concrete components based of internal shell structures and thus to use the shell load-bearing effect in a small scale. In shell construction, which can be found in many variations in nature and technology, complex load-bearing structures can be formed with the most economical use of materials. While natural shell structures serve, for example, as a protective cover for micro-organisms or as light petals to counteract high wind forces, in the building industry it is mainly large areas that are spanned. In comparison to beams and frame structures, where the bending stress due to dead weight increases disproportionately with increasing span width, spatially curved shell structures can handle considerably larger spans with a minimum of material consumption. In the ideal case, the thin-walled structures are subject exclusively to membrane stresses; bending stresses that are unfavourable in terms of statics and material utilisation are avoided. In SP C01, a method is being developed to dissolve components of all kinds on the basis of an internal shell load-bearing effect. Another variant are internal folded structures.