Subject: Does an ovoid or a spheroid shape have greater structural strength?

Given the same materials, which hollow shape has the greatest structural 
strength, an ovoid, e.g., an egg, or a spheroid, e.g., a ball?  Please 
assume there are no additional support structures for the hollow shell, 
such as the tetrahedrons that support a geodesic dome.  

I'm asking this question essentially out of curiosity.  It came up when a 
candidate my client and I were interviewing suggested that the strongest 
structures were egg-shaped.  (He said it in the context of human resources 
and organizational structure, but the analogy was from physics and 
engineering.)

I have searched your website and nothing I found answers my question.  I'm
raising the question with a non-trivial understanding of the underlying issues
--
I am have a degree in physics, and some understanding of arches and domes
(not to mention a sharp mind!).

The likely results are intuitively obvious for a consideration of relative
strength
in all three directions (in 3D space), because an ovoid/egg will be less
strong
when subjected to pressure across its breadth.  But what of the relative
strength across its length compared to a sphere of similar material/thickness?

I wonder if you could direct me to the

results of any experiments that have subjected spheres and ovoids made
of the same material of the same thickness to tests of structural strength.

- Shyam
                                                                         

Response:

Re: Does an ovoid or a spheroid shape have greater structural strength?
Given the same materials, which hollow shape has the greatest structural 
strength, an ovoid, e.g., an egg, or a spheroid, e.g., a ball?  Please 
assume there are no additional support structures for the hollow shell, 
such as the tetrahedrons that support a geodesic dome.  

I'm asking this question essentially out of curiosity.  It came up when a 
candidate my client and I were interviewing suggested that the strongest 
structures were egg-shaped.  (He said it in the context of human resources 
and organizational structure, but the analogy was from physics and 
engineering.)



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Re: Does an ovoid or a spheroid shape have greater structural strength?