Abstract
The thesis describes the course and outcome of research into the use of paperboard as a potential new material for self supporting and loadbearing low-cost structural enclosures. Both, the material paperboard in general and suitable structural forms, were investigated first and Pasted Chipboard material and folded surface structures subsequently chosen for further study. Folded surface structures in general were classified and their historical development was indicated. Based on the geometry of composite antiprisms a building system was developed which consists of three different structural forms, a vault, a dome and a form obtained by the intersection of three vaults, which can be combined in a variety of ways to suit different architectural applications. Manufacture, assembly and erection were studied and applied to a design consisting of a vault structure closed on both ends by semidomes which was constructed as a 75% full scale prototype in Pasted Chipboard. A full set of gravity load tests and a windtunnel investigation on a small scale model were carried out. A method of analysis based on finite element method was attempted by two of the author's colleagues and the analytical results compared with the experimental ones.