Nervi's design and construction methods for two thin-shell structures : the Leverone Field House and Thompson Arena

Abstract

This thesis studies two major thin-shell concrete structures by Pier Luigi Nervi (1891- 1979) - the Leverone Field House and Thompson Arena. These two similar parabolic vaults are two of the few international structures he has completed in the United States. Situated across the street from each other at Dartmouth College, these two thin-shell concrete structures designed only a few years apart and in a such mature stage of Nervi's engineering career deserve a closer look. Access to Nervi's original calculations, specifications, and correspondences with Dartmouth College reveal a new level of refinement in his design methods and decisions. This study analyzes his structural design methods and compares them with approximated hand calculations assuming an asymmetric load on a 3-hinged parabolic arch. The maximum moment was calculated to be within 7% of Nervi's results. An arch was also explored by building a Finite Element (FE) model in SAP2000, however, the results proved the model to be an unreliable representation of the behavior of the funicular concrete arch. Furthermore, never before published construction photos give clues to the construction of the first structure built with the "Nervi System" in the United States. Slight changes were made to the construction method from his previous structures with the Nervi System in Rome. The types of different precast panels were reduced to increase repetition and refinement was made to the multi-step formwork system to reduce the amount of wooden formwork while keeping a high level of accuracy for the shape of the precast panels.