FOLDED PLATES

WHAT ARE FOLDED PLATES? Combined folded

Plate structure

• Folded plates are assemblies of flat plates rigidly connected together along their
edges in such a way so as to make the structural system capable of carrying loads
without the need for additional supporting beams along mutual edges.

Folded plate structure made of glass laminate

The Principle of Folding
The structural characteristics of folding structures depend on:
1. The pattern of the folding
2. Their geometric basic shape
3. Its material
4. The connection of the different folding planes
5. The design of the bearings
The shape of folded structures affects the transmission of load and direction of relying of folded structures.
Based on these parameters we can do the division in:

• linear folded plate structure

• radial folded plate structure
• spatial folded plate structure.
 Structural Behaviour of Folding
Load Distribution Process:
• 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.
Types of Folded Plates:
Based on geometric shape folded
structures can be divided into:
1. Folded plate surfaces structures
2. Folded plate frames structures
3. Spatial folded plate structures
• 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 is formed
by combining mutually the elements of a folded structure.
BASIC ELEMENTS OF FOLDED PLATES:
• 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.
• Columns to support the structure in the air.

TAPERED FOLDED PLATES:

• Folded plate structures may be built with tapered elements and only one of the many possible combinations is shown
here.
• The height of the shells at the center of the span is the critical dimension for bending strength. therefore, the structure
is not very efficient and not suitable for long spans because of the excess height required for the large ends.
• Another weak element in this design is the transfer of shear from the small end of the triangular plate to the large end.
if a large number of units are used in each span, the transfer of loads may be difficult.
• A folded plate may be used for walls as a thin structural element by casting each plate flat on the floor and grouting the
joints full of concrete. a wall of this type can be made much thinner than a flat wall.
EDGE SUPPORTED FOLDED PLATES:
• The usual upturned edge plate can be eliminated and the roof structure can be made to appear very thin if
the edge plate is replaced by a series of columns.
• The slab between columns must be designed as a beam and it may be convenient to extend the main roof
slab as a Cantilever Canopy.
• The beam element that carries the load of the roof between columns will then be wider and windows under
the slab will have the same function as in the previous examples of folded plates.
• Note the vertical columns in the end walls at the crown of the gable. these take the reactions of the plates
and the horizontal ties may be eliminated. wind loads are taken by rigid frame action in the Columns and
Stiffeners.
FOLDED PLATE TRUSS:
• The term "folded plate truss" is intended to indicate the structural action of
this structure.
• There are horizontal ties across the width only at the ends of the building.
• The thrusts from the triangular crossed arches are carried lengthwise to the
ends.
• The top chord of the inclined truss is formed by the ridge member.
• The bottom chords are the ties at the base of the side gables and the
diagonals are formed by the sloping valleys at the intersection of the gables
and the triangular plates.
• This is truly a space structure and its structural action is as shown and,
therefore, the architectural appearance is mote subtle that the usual shell
structure.

FOLDED PLATE RIGID FRAME:

• An arch with straight segments is sometimes called a Rigid
Frame.
• It is not as efficient as the curved arch because the bending
moments are greater.
• Ties across the plates are required at the knees and at the
crown in order to distribute the forces at the ends of each
segment.
WALLS CONTINUOUS WITH SHELL:
• In this structure the walls are of tilt-up concrete construction; concrete is cast flat on the floor and raised into
place by cranes.
• The walls are designed to be continuous with the roof plates. Tilt-up walls usually are joined by poured-in-place
columns. in this design, columns are not necessary at the junction of the individual side wall panels because the
walls are braced at the top.
• Only a simple grouted key slot is provided. The tilt-up panels can serve as their own foundation walls so only a
continuous footing pad is used with a notch to receive the tilt-up panel.
• Dock height interior floors can be constructed by filling the interior of the building up with dirt to the required
height.
• The tilt-up walls can be designed for this lateral load because they are held at the top by the shell and act as
vertical beams rather than as Cantilever Retaining.
THREE SEGMENT FOLDED PLATE:
• The end stiffeners are rigid frames rather than deep Girders as in the last example.
• The forces from the reactions of the sloping plates on these rigid frames will be quire large and at an outside
column they will not be balanced by thrusts from the adjacent plates.
• The size of the frames may be reduced by using a steel tie between the tops of the columns which can be
concealed in the fenestration. The dimensions of the plates are dependent on both the width of the barrel and on
the span.
• The depth of the shell should be about 0.10 times the span and the maximum slope of a plate should not be
greater than 40 degrees.
• For example, assume for the above structure that the span is 60 feet and the bay width is 24 feet. the depth of the
shell should be about 6 feet and the horizontal width of each plate with a three segment plate should be about 8
feet.
• 6 the slope of the plates is 6/8, which is about 37 degrees and is satisfactory. the thickness of the plates could be
about 3 ½ inches.
Prismatic folded plates Faceted folded plates
It composites of planar thin slabs Non-prismatic folded plates It consists of triangular or
joining It composites of planar thin slabs polygonal planar thin slabs joining
along their longitudinal edges to joining along their along their edges to form thin
form a longitudinal edges to form a beam- plate structure.
beam-like structure spanning like structure
between spanning between supports.
supports.
Applications of Folded Structures:

• Based on the position in the architectural structure, this type of construction can
be divided into:
• As roof structures
• As floor structures
• As wall structures
• As steel sheet piles
As Roof Structures:
The basic construction of this
facility consists of triangular
plates - metal
panels forming folded
construction.

Air Force Academy Chapel, Colorado Springs, USA,

architect Walter Netsch
As Floor Structure:

• This type of ceiling represents folded construction made of steel sheets. Trapezoidal sheet can independently receive
and transmit the load, and together with concrete represents coupled structure.
• Mezzanine ceiling structure constructed as a wooden folded structure represents a trapezoidal crease with elements
of veneer (plywood), and horizontal parts of the folded structure are made of solid wood.
• Mezzanine ceiling can be executed as a wooden folded construction and it represents a parallel "V" crease with
elements of veneer, placed between the horizontal elements of cut solid wood. This type of ceiling is called "Kielsteg"
and it has been patented in Austria
 As wall structure:

• 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
As Steel Sheet Piles:
Securing of foundation pits, especially if the ground is under
water, is more frequently performed by using profiled steel
sheet piles and this way of security also represents the
application of folded.
By using this piles the foundation pits of great depth can be
secured.
Joints are constructed to allow certain rotation, and thus the
opportunity to carry out the walls of steel sheet piles in the
bends as well.
This type of security of the foundation pits represents a
vertical folded structure of steel and this type of pile is called
Larsen planks
Advantages and Disadvantages:
Advantages :
• Very light form of construction. To span 30 m shell thickness required is 60 mm only.
• The use of concrete as a building material reduces both materials cost and a construction cost.
• Longer span can be provided.
• Flat shapes by choosing certain arched shapes.
• Esthetically it looks good over other forms of construction.
Disadvantages:
• Shuttering is difficult.
• Greater accuracy in formwork is required.
• Good labor and supervision necessary.
• Rise of roof may be a disadvantage.