A PRESENTATION

ON

TYPES OF ACTIVE
STRUCTURES

SUBMITTED BY-
SAKSHI
III YEAR
Content
Introduction
1. Bulk Active Structure
a) Vertical Structure
i. Walls
ii. Columns
b) Horizontal structure
i. Beams
ii. Slabs
2. Vector Active Structure
a) Flat Truss
b) Curved Truss
c) Space Truss
3. Form Active Structure
a) Cable Structure
b) Arched Structure
c) Tent Structure
d) Pneumatic Structure

4. Surface Active Structures

a) Plate Structures
b) Folded Structures
c) Shell Structures
INTRODUCTION

Now a days long span structures are widely used in various fields
such as sports, commercial, industrial, social and other activities.

So, it is evident that long span structures are best capable in solving
many problems that cannot be faced with the help of traditional
building types.
1. Bulk Active Structure System
• It is represented by horizontal i.e. beams – free or fixed places on vertical
elements i.e. columns. The principle is distribution of load into two directions.

Elements of Bulk active structures

a) Vertical Structures b) Horizontal Structures

I. Walls I. Slabs

II. Columns II. Beams

I. Bearing Walls
• A compressive member that is continuous in one direction, distributes vertical load and
gradually distributes to support/ soil.
• This wall helps disperse the building’s weight from the roof down to the foundation, and
its removal could cause the structure to collapse.
II. Columns
• Columns are vertical , structural members of a structure.
• Columns stand perpendicular to the ground.
• Since they are used to hold up the weight of a structure and to resist the external loads pushing
down upon them columns are always in compression.

Types of Columns

Long Columns Short Columns

Fails in crushing Fails in buckling

Slenderness Slenderness
Ratio less than Ratio more than
12 12
 Types of Columns (material wise)

Steel Columns R.C.C Columns

Brick Columns

Stone Columns Composite Columns

Timber Columns
I. Beams
• Beams are horizontal structural members that are used to carry a load.
• Beams are used to support loads placed between two columns.
• They transfer the load horizontally, across their length to the columns.

Types of Beams (position wise)

Simply Supported Cantilever Beam Overhanging Beam

Fixed Beam Continuous Beam

i. Simply Supported Beams

• Simply supported beam is supported at
both end
• Only takes load above opening
• Beam end is free
 ii. Cantilever Beams iii. Overhanging Beams
• A structural member of which one end is fixed and • The end portion of a beam extends beyond the
other is free. support, then the beam is known as
• This beam carry load over the span which undergoes overhanging beam.
both shear stress and bending moment. • Overhanging may be on one of the supports
or on both the sides.
 iv. Fixed Beams v. Continuous Beams
• Fixed beam is one with ends restrained from • If more than two supports are provided to the
rotation. beam, it is called continuously supported beam.
• It does not allow vertical movement and rotation • This beam is similar to simply supported beam
of the beam. except more than two support are used on it.
• It is only under shear stress and no moment
produces in this beams.
 Types of Beams (material wise)

Timber Beams
R.C.C Beams
Composite Beams

Steel Beams Stone Beams

II. Slabs
• Slabs are constructed to provide flat surfaces, usually horizontal in building floors, roofs, bridges, and
other types of structures.
• Flat Slab Conventional Slab Hollow core slab Waffle Slab Slabs

Hollow core
Slab
Conventional Slab
Flat Slab

Waffle Slab Pre-tension Slab Post-tension Slab

 2. Vector Active Structure System
• These systems are represented by flat truss.
• It comprises of compressive and tensile members in assembly put together with hinged joints.
• It receives asymmetrical and changing loads.
• It can support large spans without intermediate support.

Types of Vector Active

Flat Truss Curved Truss Space Truss

I. Flat Truss
• All members and nodes lie within a 2D plane consists of straight members connected at
joints. No member is continuous through a joint.
• When forces tend to pull the member apart, its in tension and when it compresses it is in
compression.
II. Curved Truss III. Space Truss
• Curved trusses are trusses which are used to • Space frame truss is a 3D framework of
give a particular form to the building. members pinned at their ends.
• The material mostly used is steel for such • A tetrahedron shape is the simplest space
construction . truss, consisting of 6 members which meet at
4 joints.
• The form is not organic but is in sections.
 3. Form Active Structure
• Form active structures are represented by arches that carry only direct stress and no bending take
place.
• These types of structures are wind resistant.
• In case of increase in span increase in dead weight takes place.

Types of Form Active

Cable Structure Arch Structure Tent Structure Pneumatic Structure

I. Cable Structure
• Cable Structure System is the major system under form active structure system.
• It comprises of non-rigid, flexible cables shaped in a certain manner and fixed at the ends to span the
space.
• The load is transmitted through simple stresses; either through compression or tension.
• Cable system forms a Funicular Shape through the stresses.
• The high tensile strength of steel, combined with the efficiency of simple tension makes a steel cable
the ideal structural element to span large distances.
II. Arch Structure
• An Arch is a compression form and a vertical or horizontal structure, curved in a manner that spans a
space.
• It may or may not support the load above it depending upon the form.
• It can span large areas through compression stresses neglecting tensile stresses.
• All the bridges and old historical buildings were made in arch structure system.
• Arches are mainly of three types: Circular Form, Pointed Aches and Parabolic Arches.
III. Tent Structure
• Tent or Tensile structures are the common type of thin – membrane structures which only carry
tension stresses and no bending or compression.
• The most important and wide usage of these structures is in roof due to its low cost and spanning
capacity of large spaces.
• They are also used in making complete building structure such as exhibition halls, warehouses etc.
• Main materials required for these type of structures is tensile membrane and steel cables.
• There are mainly 4 types of tents fabric structures: Saddle roof, Arch supported, Mast supported and
combinations.
IV. Pneumatic Structure
• These are the type of membrane structures which are stabilized by the pressure of compressed air.
• The membrane fabric is stiffened by the network of cables and the rigid ring at the edge supports the
assembly.
• There are majorly two types of pneumatic form active structure systems – Air Supported Structures and
Air Inflated Structures.
• Pneumatic Structures are lightweight, safe structures which enable natural light to enter the space and
take least time for erection and dismantling.
 3. Surface Active Structure
• In this system the span is defined both internally and externally by geometric system.
• Because of their light weight and expressive structural system both internally and externally they
are considered as one of the best concrete fixed permanent structural system.
• Load here is carried for enormous span with short sections.

Types of Form Active

Plate Structure Folded Plate Structure Shell Structure

I. Plate Structure
• Structural plates are flat planar girders which contrary to the slab are stressed by
loads parallel to girder surface
• Wall girders likewise referred to as structural plates due to their shape with it
measuring half of their span, behaves like a beam, they are not plates in structural
sense
II. Folded Plate Structure

• Folded plate structures are assemblies of flat plates, or slabs, inclined in different directions and joined

along their longitudinal edges.
• In this way the structural system is capable of carrying loads without the need for additional
supporting beams along mutual edges.

Structural Behaviour of folding

• At first, the external forces are transferred to the shorter
edge of one folding element.
• There, the reaction as an axial force is divided between
the adjacent elements.
• Then the forces transferred to the bearings
 Classification of Folded Plate Structures

a. On the basis of Geometric Shape:

• Folded plate surfaces structures
• Folded plate frames structures
• Spatial folded plate structures

b. On the basis of material they are made of:

• Folded structures made of reinforced concrete
• Metal folded structures
• Folded structures of wood
• Folded structures of glass
• Folded structures of plastic materials
• Folded constructions made in combination of
different materials
III. Shell Structure
• Lattice and portal frame buildings consist of a structural frame which supports slab, roof and wall
covering.
• This frame serves purely as the structural support and provides protection against weather.
• The roof and wall covering add nothing to the strength the rigidity of structural frame.
• A shell structure is a thin curved membrane or slab usually of reinforced concrete that functions both
as structural support and covering.
• The term “shell” is used to describe the structures which possess strength and rigidity due to its thin,
natural and curved form such as shell of egg, a nut, human skull, and shell of tortoise.

Types of Shell Structure

Single Curvature Shell Double Curvature Shell

a. Single Curvature Shell:
• Are curved on one linear axis and are a
part of a cylinder or cone in the form of
barrel vaults and conoid shells

b. Double Curvature Shell:

• Are either part of a sphere, or a
hyperboloid of revolution.
• The terms single curvature and
double curvature do not provide a
precise geometric distinction between
the form of shell because a barrel
vault is single curvature but so is a
dome.
THANK
YOU