Tuesday 13 March 2012

Abstract

Concrete embedded into the hessian fabric mesh inside the Waller shell at Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, Ireland.    

Worker applying final coats to one of Waller's concrete shells.

Sketch of Waller's Ctesiphon system.

Multi-span Ctesiphon shell roof under construction, Umtali Southern Rhodesia (1949) 

Felix Candela's Cosmic Rays Pavilion (1951)

Born in 1884, engineer James Hardress de Warenne Waller was an expert in the production of early reinforced concrete and concrete shell construction. During World War II, he developed an innovative method of building concrete shell roofs with a catenary arch cross-section in pure compression; this eliminated the need for steel reinforcement. Instead of conventional formwork, he used fabric supported by reusable falsework. The system was revolutionary, in both it’s economy of materials and structural principles. However Waller’s advancement of concrete shell construction remains under-recognised despite it being broadly influential on 20th century architects and engineers, most notably Felix Candela who adopted Waller’s system of construction in the first of his numerous works and continued the use of similar double curvature structural principles into his latter works. This current research documents Waller’s principal contributions to concrete technology and examines the extent of influence his innovative work had. As a concrete expert who engaged in prolific use of fabric formwork throughout his career, Waller’s work still poses significant insight to anyone working towards the advancement of fabric formwork technology today.

Through this blog I will post images of a variety of structures built by Waller during the 20th Century and analyse the development of his techniques. My research posted on this blog is being done in parallel with preparations for the 2nd International Conference on Fabric Formwork and the 4th International Congress on Construction History that will take place this summer in Bath and Paris respectively. I have been invited to present papers at both events on James Waller's contribution to the advancement of concrete shell structures and fabric formed concrete.


2nd International Conference on Fabric Formwork:

4th International Congress on Construction History: