Darlington GS vacuum building - containment shell

The paper describes the consequences of new design requirements for the Darlington vacuum building on its structural configuration, analytical and reinforcing steel layout. Attention focuses on the ring girder where the juncture of dome and perimeter wall produces a complex post-tensioning layout, and attendant difficulties in design and construction. At the wall base, full fixity imposes large local stresses. Long-term, shrinkage and creep, and temperature effects become significant. A research program and in-house analytical procedure established time-dependent concrete behaviour and corresponding wall-sectional stresses. The outcome is examined in terms of reinforcement, temperature controls, and wall liner requirements. (orig.)