Shells, stressed skin structures because of their geometry and small flexural rigidity of the skin, tend to carry loads primarily by direct stresses acting in their plane. Concrete shallow funicular shells of rectangular ground plan, double curvature with different rises are loaded to failure with a concentrated central force. Specimens of size 100 cm x 100 cm in plan with edge beam of size 4 cm x 4 cm are prepared with concrete of grade M30 for which the mix design is carried by Indian Standard method. The specimens are prepared with various rises and moist cured. They are subjected to ultimate loads and the corresponding strains and deflections are measured. Failure patterns for shells with different rises are observed. From the experimental investigations, a relation between span to rise ratio and ultimate load is arrived. It is concluded that the ultimate loads are function of the rise of the shell. © Research India Publications.