Binishells are

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...

thin-shell structures that are lifted and shaped by

air pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The Standard atmosphere (unit), standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equival ...

. They were invented in the 1960s by Dante Bini, who built 1,600 of them in 23 countries. The Binishell method needs expensive and sophisticated equipment but it remains as one of the fastest and cost-effective ways to construct dome-shaped, monolithic, and reinforced shell structures.

Development

The original Binishells are circular in plan and are reinforced via a system of springs and

rebars Rebar (short for reinforcing bar), known when massed as reinforcing steel or reinforcement steel, is a steel bar used as a tension device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures to strengthen and aid the concrete under tension. ...

. They can often be constructed in less than one hour. The technology was derived from air structure, which is erected just as a balloon is erected. Bini further drew insights from the

pneumatic Pneumatics (from Greek ‘wind, breath’) is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air. Pneumatic systems used in Industrial sector, industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A central ...

air-supported tennis dome. In 1965, the first Binishell was built. It had a 12-meter diameter, 6-meter height, and was lifted using Bini's patented pneumatic formwork. Uses for the Binishells range from

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether it ...

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

villages,

sports arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

s, storage,

silo A silo (from the Greek σιρός – ''siros'', "pit for holding grain") is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage, not to be confused with a grain bin, which is used t ...

s and

discothèque A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s. An example of a Binishell was opened in 1978 as a sports hall for the Malvern Girls College. This Binishell had a size of 36 meters in diameter. Later, Bini designed a smaller version of the Binishell, known as a Minishell, as a low-cost, 8-meter by 8-meter shell structure. In 1971, several Binishells were constructed in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, for a governmental initiative that required rapid building system for multi-purpose centers. Bini also completed the construction of a tourist village in

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

, Australia, using Minishells in 1980. More recently the system is being re-launched by Dante Bini's son Nicoló Bini, AIA. Improvements to the original system include greater architectural flexibility, compliance to international

building code A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permission ...

s, simplification of the

construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...

process and integration of latest material and passive

heating A central heating system provides warmth to a number of spaces within a building from one main source of heat. It is a component of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (short: HVAC) systems, which can both cool and warm interior spaces. ...

cooling Cooling is removal of heat, usually resulting in a lower temperature and/or phase change. Temperature lowering achieved by any other means may also be called cooling.ASHRAE Terminology, https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/free-resources/as ...

technologies. It is touted as a sustainable building technology since it is said to have one-third the environmental impact over its lifespan.

References

External links

* http://www.binishells.com/ * https://failures.wikispaces.com/Binishell+Domes Italian inventions Concrete shell structures {{civil-engineering-stub

Development

See also

References

External links