FOLDED PLATES

Nikhita Khurana
Pulkit Chawla
Tanvi Yadav
Dhruv Khurana

INTRODUCTION
FOLDED PLATES is one of the simplest shell
SHELL STRUCTURE
structure.
They are more adaptable to smaller
areas than curved surfaces which require
multiple use of forms for maximum economy.

BAY
WIDTH
OF
BARREL
VAULT

A folded plate may be formed for about the

same cost as a horizontal slab and has much
less steel and concrete for the same
spans.
Folded plates are not adapted to as wide bay
spacings as barrel vaults.

FOLDED PLATE
STRUCTURE

BAY WIDTH
OF FOLDED
PLATES

DESCRIPTION

BEHAVIOUR

BEHAVIOUR
Each plate is assumed to act as a beam in its own plane,
this assumption is justified when the ratio of the span
"length of the plate to its height width is large
enough. But when this ratio is small, the plate behaves
as a deep beam.
When the folded plate is that with simple joint , which
mean that no more than 2 elements are connected to the
joint.
But when more than 2 elements are connected to the
joint, it can be named as multiple joint. The width of any
plate should not be larger than 0.25 its length to be
considered to act as beam.
Actions of Folded plate due to loads :
1) SLAB ACTION : loads are transmitted to ridges by the
bending of plates normal to their planes.
2) BEAM ACTION : Loads are transmitted through plates
in their planes to diaphragms.

RIDGE

COMPONENTS
The principle components in a folded plate structure are illustrated in the sketch below. They
consist of,
1)
2)
3)
4)

the inclined plates,

edge plates which must be used to stiffen the wide plates,
stiffeners to carry the loads to the supports and to hold the plates in line, and
columns to support the structure in the air.

) A strip across a folded plate is called a slab element because the plate is designed as a slab in that
direction.
) The span of the structure is the greater distance between columns and the bay width is the distance
between similar structural units.
) If several units were placed side by side, the edge plates should be omitted except for the first and
last plate.
) If the edge plate is not omitted on inside edges, the form should be called a two segment folded plate
with a common edge plate.
) The structure may have a simple span or multiple spans of varying length, or the folded plate may
cantilever from the supports without a stiffener at the end.
Inclined plates
Edge plates

Span
Stiffeners
Columns
TAPERED FOLDED PLATES

Bay width

THE PRINCIPLE OF FOLDING

STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR OF FOLDING

The inner load transfer of a folding structure happens through the twisted plane, either through
the structural condition of the plate (load perpendicular to the centre plane) or through the
structural condition of the slab (load parallel to the plane).
At first, the external forces are transferred due to the structural condition of the plate to the
shorter edge of one folding element.
There, the reaction as an axial force is divided between the adjacent elements which results
in a strain of the structural condition of the slabs. This leads to the transmission of forces to
the bearing.

FORMS OF FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURES

FORMS OF FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURES

By using folded structures different spatial

forms can be made.

The straight elements forming a folded

construction can be of various shapes:
rectangular, trapezoidal or triangular.
By combining these elements we get
different forms resulting in a variety of
shapes
and
remarkable
architectural
expression.

Folded structures in the plane are the

structures in which all the highest points of
the elements and all the elements of the
lowest points of the folded structure belong
to two parallel planes.

Frame
folded
structures
represent
constructional set in which the elements of
each segment of the folds mutually occupy a
frame spatial form. This type of folded
structure is spatial organization of two or
more folds in the plane.

Spatial folded structures are the type of a

structure in which a spatial constructive set

FORMS OF FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURES

The shape of folded structures affects the transmission of load and direction of relying of folded
structures. Based on these parameters, folded plate systems are further classified into :
1. linear folded plate structure
2. radial folded plate structure
3. spatial folded plate structure
LINEAR FOLDED
PLATE STRUCTURE

RADIAL FOLDED
PLATE STRUCTURE

SPATIAL FOLDED
PLATE STRUCTURE

EXAMPLE OF A COMBINED FOLDED

STRUCTURE FORMED BY A
CYLINDRICAL FOLDED STRUCTURE
AND HALF OF DOME STRUCTURE

Combined folded constructions are carried out over the complex geometric basis, formed by the
combination of simple geometric figures, rectangles and semicircles on one side or both sides.

This type of folded structure can be derived in the plane or as a frame (cylindrical) structure,
and represents a combination of folded structure above the rectangular base and of the
radial construction.

TYPES OF FOLDED PLATE STRUCTURES

LONGITUDINAL/ PRISMATIC FOLDING

Longitudinal
folding
is
characterized

through
uninterrupted and linked folding edges where parallel
and skew up folds and down folds alternate.

Single-layered longitudinal folding corresponds in their load

bearing structure to a linear load bearing system whereas a
double-layered folding with different directions of their folds
can create the structural condition of the plate.

SKETCH LONGITUDINAL FOLDING

SPOT OR FACET FOLDING

Also called spot or facet folding, requires that several folds

intersect like a bunch in one single spot. This results in
pyramidal folds with crystalline or facet-like planes.

Facet folding can either be based on a triangular shape or

on a quadrangular shape.

A single or double-layered facet folding resembles the load

bearing structure of a plate and can be compared to space
frameworks
SKETCH PYRAMIDAL FOLDING

MATERIALS

Reinforced Cement Concrete

Steel Plate
Mixture of Concrete and lightweight terracotta tiles
Polymer mixture of concrete and fibreglass
Scored laminated timber sheets

EXAMPLE: SANTA CRUZ AIRPORT, MUMBAI

Prestressed concrete folded plates
Extremely light with concrete thickness of
200mm
An existing hangar at Santa Cruz Airport,
Mumbai (Bombay), India, has been extended to
accommodate additional aircraft and engineering
facilities.
Contains 8 folds
62 m long cantilever of the new folded-plate roof
Measure152 x 60 m in plan, and is symmetrically
divided by a longitudinal expansion joint
The 152 m length consists of two cantilevered
roofs, each 62.3 m long, and a central roof 27.4 m
long over the maintenance building.
Highest point of roof is 32.3m above ground
The transverse section of the folded plate consists
of eight 7.6 m wide modules, each having a
corrugated plate arrangement, with horizontal top
and bottom plates inclined at 45 between the
webs.

EXAMPLE: THE CHURCH OF NOTRE DAME,

THE CITY OF ROYAN
Walls can be designed and carried out as
folded structures, since by folding we get a solid
construction that can accept large vertical and
horizontal impacts, which enables exceptional
height of the wall fabric.
This type of folded structures, due to their
geometry, provides an economical solution and
the rational use of material when compared to
the height of the building.
Walls made as folded structures can be
materialized in reinforced concrete.
Facility constructed with this structure is the
church of Notre Dame, the city of Royan,
France, 1958, with the walls built in the form of
folded in "V" shape of reinforced concrete.
Viable galleries, which have a constructive role
of the diaphragm, are built on them

 USES
Storage buildings
Swimming pools
Gyms
Airports etc.

ADVANTAGES

since they are of concrete, such roofs have inherent resistance to fire, deterioration and to
atmospheric corrosion.
They allow large spans to be achieved in structural concrete. This allows flexibility of planning
and mobility beneath.
Where ground conditions require expensive piled foundations the reduced number of
supporting columns can be an economic advantage.
The plates are required to be thicker than the shells, and there are more firms who will tackle
constructing them without excessive prices, increasing competition and sometimes making
the cost more competitive than for cylindrical shells.

DISADVANTAGES

Skilled labor is required in the construction of curved shuttering.

Since concrete is porous material, concrete domes often have issues with sealing. If not
treated, rainwater can seep through the roof and leak into the interior of the building
Labor skilled in curved shuttering are very expensive
Skilled labor for folded plates are hard to find

APPLICATION

Folded structures have found the application in

architectural buildings and engineering structures.

Based on the position in the architectural structure, this

type of construction can be divided into: roof, floor and
wall folded constructions.

The largest number of examples of folded structures

are roof structures.

The need for acquiring the larger range and more cost
effective structure led to the emergence of this type of
structure.

The largest application of folded structures is in the

formation of trapezoidal sheet.

This type of folded structure can absorb and receive the

load without introducing additional structure.

Application of trapezoidal sheet, except as roofing, is in

making the thermal insulation of roof and wall sandwich
panels.