Ground and structure
Long-span structure
gymnasium market transit station auditorium warehouse
It is a roof or structure that spans a great distance without intermediate supports. It can be a dome, an arch, a space truss, a shell or a cable net.
What it solves
It leaves the space free to gather many people or change use, as in markets, gymnasiums and stations. In the tropics a high roof gives broad shade and lets hot air escape.
Today
Choose the form according to the material and the climate, because in a large span it is the form that does the work. Plan from the start for rainwater, roof maintenance and the acoustics of the large space.
Common mistake
Solving a large span as a thick flat slab, which uses a lot of material and weighs more in an earthquake.
Tomorrow
Large roofs can collect rain and sun for a whole complex and serve as a cool refuge for the neighborhood on hot days. A clear span lets the space change use for decades.
Where it comes from
- 1Imperial Rome Pantheon, Rome, around the year 126
Its unreinforced concrete dome measures about 43 meters in diameter and is still the largest of its kind. - 2Age of iron Paris, France, 1889
The Galerie des Machines spanned 115 meters with hinged arches of iron and steel, without any interior support.
Masters
- Pier Luigi Nervi Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Italy, 1957
He covers a 61-meter circle with a ribbed dome of 1,620 precast concrete pieces that was assembled in 40 days. He shows how geometry and repetition make a large span light. - Frei Otto Olympic Stadium, Munich, Germany, 1972
He co-designed the great roof of translucent panels supported by steel cables over the stands. It was the first large-scale use of that method.
Appears in the routes
See also
Also in Ground and structure
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.