Historical context
The development of long span buildings has closely followed technological progress and really started in the nineteenth century with the advent of the railways.
The development of these buildings has closely followed technological progress and really started in the nineteenth century with the advent of the railways, which generated the need for long span enclosures at a time when the technology of cast iron structures was sufficiently advanced to be able to provide them. Progress from cast iron to wrought iron, then steel in quick succession provided the means to build longer and larger structures and created a new architectural vocabulary.
The 1850s in Britain saw the construction of the Crystal Palace by Paxton and Paddington Station by Brunel
These were two fine buildings of different use which exemplified the spirit of a new age of architectural engineering; two vast sheds of lightweight construction which were functional, economical and which expressed a simplicity of form and clarity of structure.
The latter half of the nineteenth century saw the development of larger spanning structures.
Progress in the latter half of the nineteenth century saw the development of larger spanning train sheds such as Barlow and Ordish's St. Pancras Station with a span of 74m followed by the Galerie des Machines for the 1889 Paris Exhibition by Contamin and Dutert with the incredibly long span of 114m. This shed represented the accumulation of constructional experience gained throughout the nineteenth century. It innovated the principle of the three pinned arch, pioneered the use of structural steel and its massive proportions have never really been equalled.
In the early twentieth century the major technological advances changed from land to air starting with the development of the airship and were followed by the aeroplane.
The structural requirements for lighter-than-air crafts, which were highly sophisticated, encouraged the development of lightweight structures and there were important spin-offs for the building industry. The need to house the huge delicate dirigibles provided the engineering brief for economical, long span, large volume sheds which resulted in the construction of a number of elegant functional steel buildings of awe inspiring proportions. The largest of these was the Goodyear Airdock at Akron Ohio, constructed in l 929, with an elegant parabolic three pinned arch structure spanning 99m. It is interesting to note that this pure shape was derived from wind tunnel tests designed to reduce air turbulence around the doors which could affect the manoeuvring of the great airships.
The increase in air transport, both military and commercial, led to further developments in clear span sheds.
The aeroplane has also played a role in the development of the Shed, starting with the wartime requirements for economical, quick to erect, low profile hangars and later with the need for clear span hangars to house the larger passenger planes.
The jumbo jet, with its wing span of 60m, has generated the design of long span space frame hangars, cable supported roofs, cantilevered structures and, not least, the largest building in the world, the Boeing Assembly Building at Everett, Seattle for its own manufacturing production.
Industry and leisure have been the other main generators for long span structures throughout the twentieth century.
Throughout the twentieth century the use of long span structures has broadened, notably for industrial and leisure uses. The introduction of the production-line assembly for the American car industry created the need for the single storey, roof-lit, wide-span industrial shed which we know so well, and much progress has been made to suit the ever changing requirements with the design of more efficient steel structures and economical cladding systems for their enclosure. Similarly the need for large covered spaces to house swimming pools, indoor sports, conference centres and huge arenas has also provided a challenge to architects and engineers to create efficient economical and appropriate structural enclosures.
