Review of

J.N.H Karsemeijer, J. Reijn, P. van der Werf, Predicting the performance of a shell structure, Report for course CT3280 Shell Roofs, Delft University of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, 2024, online: phoogenboom.nl/B&B_schaal_report_6.pdf

by dr.ir. P.C.J. Hoogenboom, Delft, 23 January 2024

 1. Beautiful photo on the cover. Clear table of contents. The report has a clear structure. There is no Preface. There should be a Summary. Excellent English. Handed in on time (16 Jan. 2024).

 2. A preface could have been added to explain the context of the work (minor, 4 weeks, 5 credits, ...). This is useful for a reader who finds the report 5 years from now.

 3. Some of the sentences in the introduction are in the wrong order. First, write about the context and the opportunity. Second, write the goal and only the goal. Third, write the approach.

 4. Beautiful design.

 5. Page 7 and 8. Excelent hand calculation. Can be easily checked too. No mistakes. The big uncertainty is; can we replace the laths by a continous shell of 0.47 mm thickness. Good that this is adressed in the discussion.

 6. Indeed excelent hand calculations. Good overview too.

 7. Excelent workmanship. Much work done without complaining. Good teamwork. Good photos too. What percentage of laths broke during construction?

 8. The load distribution system is clear.

 9. The test set-up is clear.

10. The collapsed structure is clear. Did collapse start with buckling or crushing? Did you make a movie?

11. Clear load-displacement diagram. The gauge can have moved during testing. Or the limit of the gauge can have been reached.

12. Page 17 and 18. This calculation is wrong. Your design is ecceptionally strong and light. It can be safely made 600 times as large. So, a span of 300 m.

13. Solid discussion.

14. Conclusions to the point.

15. The hand calculations are excellent. Nonetheless, it is a pitty that no computer calculations were made. It would have given the work more depht.

16. Page 21. This is not a good reference. Please, learn how to do this properly.