Palazzetto dell Sport [Sports Hall]

Original name

Palazzetto dell Sport [Sports Hall]

Original use

Sports/sports pavilion

Current use

Sports/sports pavilion

Architects

Annibale Vittellozzi

Engineers

Pier Luigi Nervi

Concrete by reinforcement

Introduced in the 1850s by the French industrialist François Coignet.

Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.

To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element . Reinforced concrete, Ferrocement was developed by P.L.Nervi, an Italian architect, in 1940.

A composite structural material comprising thin sections consisting of cement mortar reinforced by several closely spaced layers of steel wire mesh.

Ferrocement is a low self-weight, highly versatile form of reinforced concrete.
It consists of cement mortar and a large amount of small-diameter wire mesh embedded uniformly throughout the cross section. The strength depends on two factors: the quality of the sand/cement mortar mix and the quantity of reinforcing materials used. Ferrocement

Construction method

This is the most common construction method, in which concrete is poured directly into molds or formwork at the construction site, in the final position where it will be needed as part of the structure.
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.

This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength. Cast-in-place concrete, in-situ concrete, Concrete that is cast somewhere other than its final position. An element manufactured at a casting plant or on site but not in its final position.

PRECAST ON SITE:
In larger and more complex construction projects, a concrete production plant may be installed on the construction site or nearby. The precast elements are moved into place once they have reached their maximum strength. This reduces transportation costs and ensures the concrete will set in the same environmental conditions as the building site. This may be more necessary with structures that combine cast-in-place concrete with prefabricated elements.

PRECAST IN FACTORY, WORKSHOP:
Any concrete element can be manufactured ahead of time and transported to the site once it has set. In this case, the control over geometry, appearance, finish and strength can be as strict as necessary. It can also be ensured that the pieces will be exactly identical to one another.
Prefabricated elements can be of any type: from façade panels and pavements to decorative elements (such as cornices or capitals) and structural elements (columns, slabs, beams, etc.).
These elements may be part of a commercial catalog or specially designed for a specific project. A series of pieces may also be sold as a coordinated and interconnected system to build a complete structure or even an entire building. Precast concrete, precast element

Architectural concrete

Concrete that will be permanently exposed to view and therefore requires special care in the selection of the materials, forming, placing and finishing to obtain the desired architectural appearance, examples include :

- textured walls
- wooden formwork finish
- stamped concrete
- exposed aggregate concrete, colored concrete, etc. Architectural concrete

Structural types

A thin three-dimensional structure, in which, as in the previous case, the shape of the element provides its structural resistance. Beginning from a membrane structure or “shell”, in this case the surface is curved (simple or double curvature) in order to increase its strength.

The shape of the structure as a whole usually coincides with that of the building, as in the case of vaults or domes, for example.
Felix Candela and Pier Luigi Nervi both made exemplary use of this type of structure. Two-dimensional/shell structure