Tensile S t r u c t u r e s

Pa r t 2

Stayed Suspended Anticlastic Pneumatic Cable truss

Pneumatic Structures

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Pneumatic Structure
 Pneumatic

Air Supported Air Inflated

Fuji pavilion Osaka Expo 1970

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 Introduction
• Membrane Structures that are stabilized by pressure of
compressed air.

• Pressure difference between the enclosed space and the

exterior are responsible for giving the building its
shape and its stability.

• The pressure should be uniformly distributed for

structural integrity.
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 Pneumatic Structures
• Round in shape because it creates greatest
volume for least amount of material.
• The whole envelope has to be evenly
pressurized for best stability.
• Pre stressing of membrane can be done
either by applying external force or by
internal pressurizing.

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Principle
• Use of relatively thin membrane
supported by pressure difference.
• Dead weight increases by increasing the
internal pressure and the membrane is
stressed so that no asymmetrical loading
occurs.
• Membrane can support both tension and
compression and thus withstand bending
moment.
 Types
A) Air Supported Structures
B) Air Inflated Structures
A): Air Supported Structures
• They have air higher than the atmospheric
pressure supporting the envelope.
• Air locks or revolving doors help to
maintain the internal pressure.
• Air must be constantly provided.
• Life span of 20 – 25 years.
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 Air Supported Structure

• They are either anchored to the ground

or to7 a wall so that leakage is prevented.
• They have relative low cost and they
can be installed easily.
B): Air Inflated Structures
• Supporting frames consist of air under high
pressure.

• Internal pressure of building remains at

atmospheric pressure.
• There is no restrictions
in no. and size of
openings.
• They have potential
to support an attached structure.
Pneumatic structures are membrane structures that are placed in tension and
stabilized against wind and snow loads by the pressure of compressed air. The
membrane is usually a woven textile or glass-fiber fabric coated with a
synthetic material such as silicone. Translucent membranes provide natural
illumination, gather solar radiation in the winter, and cool the interior space at
night. Reflective membranes reduce solar heat gain. A fabric liner can capture air
space to improve the thermal resistance of the structure.
There are two kinds of pneumatic structures: air-supported structures
and air-inflated structures:-
A Air-supported structures consist of a single membrane supported by an
internal air pressure slightly higher than normal atmospheric pressure, and
securely anchored and sealed along the perimeter to prevent leaking. Air locks
are required at entrances to maintain the internal air pressure.
B) Air-inflated structures
are supported by pressurized air within inflated building
elements. These elements are shaped to carry loads in
a traditional manner, while the enclosed volume of
building air remains at normal atmospheric pressure.
The tendency for a double-membrane structure to
bulge in the middle is restrained by a compression ring
or by internal ties or diaphragms.
 Pneumatic structure types:

Left: Air inflated

Right: Air supported
1 Air inflated cushion

2 Air inflated vault

3 Air inflated dome

4 Air inflated dome grid

5 Air supported dome

6 Air supported vault

7 Air supported vault with cables

8 Air supported dome grid

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PNEUMATICS TENSILE STRUCTURES
 Pneumatics
The tensile force is created by an interior
positive pressure and the membrane acts as
the weather shield
SHAPES

• The centers of
curvature of the
membrane are
.

on opposite sides
of the membrane
e.g. hyperbolic
paraboloid, torus
• The centers of
curvature of the
membrane are on
the same side of
the membrane.
E.g. sphere or
balloon
 History
• The concept of pneumatic structures were developed
during the development of hot air balloons.

• A brazilian priest Gusmao conducted the first

experiment in 1709.

• During second world war, after the invention of nylon,

these structures were widely used in military operations, as
shelters.

• These were later used for protecting radar from

extreme weather conditions.

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 General Characteristics
Light Weight
• Weight compared to area is less.

• Low air pressure is required to balance it.

Span
• There is no theoretical maximum span.

• To span a distance of 36 km for a normal building is

hard while such spans are quite possible for pneumatics.
Economy
Not expensive in case of temporary structures.

•
Safety
• More safer but proper care should be taken.
• They are fire resistance structures.
Quick erection and dismantling
• Suitable for temporary constructions.

• 1 km² area can be brought down in 6 hours and

can be establish in less than 10 hours.
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Good Natural Light
• If envelope is made up of transparent material
good natural light entre into the structure.
• Around 50% – 80% of sunlight can be obtained.
Theft
• They are very safe structures.

• If the air bag is cut with a knife or a pin a big

bang is produced.
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 System Components
Envelope
• They can be made up of different materials.
• Cannot be used as one continuous material.
• Material are seamed together by sealing, heat
bonding or mechanical jointing.
• The design of the envelope depends on an
evenly pressurized environment.
Cable System
• They act as the supporting system.

• They experience tension force due to the

upward force of the air.
• Can be placed in one or two directions to create
a network and for better stability.
• They do not fail since they are pulled tight
enough to absorb the external loads.
Pumping Equipment
• It is used to supply and maintain internal pressure
inside the structure.

• Fans, blowers or compressors are used for constant supply

of air. a n n e na p e u e

• The amount ofaair e required

u ed o con an
depends on the weight of the
material and the wind pressure.
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Entrance Doors
•Doors can be ordinary doors or airlocks.
•Airlock minimize the chances of having an unevenly
pressurized environment.

Foundation
•Pneumatic structures are secured to ground using
heavy weights, ground anchors or attached to a
foundation.
• For bigger structures reinforcing cables or nets
are used.
• For a dependent pneumatic structure (roof only
air supported structure) the envelope is anchored
to the main structure.
• When anchoring is done to soil, the cable is
attached to the anchor directly inserted and
frictional forces of the soil to hold it down.
• Soil anchoring systems include screw, disk,
expanding duckbill (‫ )ﻳﺸﺒﻪ ﻣﻧﻘﺎﺭ ﺍﻟﺑﻁ‬and
arrowhead anchors.
 Loading
• Wind and Snow loads are the primary loads that
are acting on pneumatic structures.
• They are anchored very tight to the ground, so
no horizontal forces are exerted to the envelope.
• As pneumatic structures are tensile, the envelope
has the ability to gain stiffness in order to
withstand the loads acting on them.
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• Wind loads produce a lateral force on the
structures and snow load causes downward forces
on envelope.
• Pneumatic structures are designed to withstand
win l f s l f
pou
d oads/ r .mph and a now oad o 40 nd ya d
o 120

Air Supported Structure

Air Inflated Structure
 Materials
• Envelope Materials
• Anchor Materials

Envelope Materials
• They should be light weight.
• Should have high tensile strength, tear
resistance etc.
Fiberglass
• They high tensile strength, elastic behavior and
durability. 35
• Coated with Teflon or silicone to
increase resistance to extreme
temperatures and UV radiation.
Polyester
• Most common envelope material for smaller
structures.
• PVC-coated polyester is common for flexible,
smaller air-supported structures.
• The PVC is applied to the
polyester using a bonding
or adhesive agent.
ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene)
• It is very energy efficient because of
transparency, insulation and UV resistance.
• It is also light weight has an lifespan on 20
years and is recyclable.
Nylon
• Vinyl-coated nylon has more strength,
durability and stretch than polyester.
• They have a higher cost.
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US Pavilion Expo Osaka (1970)
Architect: Davis Brody
Engineer: Geiger, Berger
• Size: 465 x 265 ft
• Steel cables
• Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric

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Silverdome Pontiac, MI (1975)
Architect: O'Dell Hewlett & Luckenbach
Engineer: Geiger/Berger

Building data:
• Capacity: 90,000
• Size: 770’ x 600’
• Air pressure: 5 psf
• 10 - 75 hp fans
• 15 - 100 hp fans
• 50 revolving doors
• 93 pressure balance doors

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Cable Truss
G G Schierle & UC Berkeley students

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Cable trusses
1 Lintel trusses
2 Concave trusses

3 Lintel truss with compression braces

4 Lintel truss with compression struts

5 Concave truss with tension braces

6 Concave truss with tension struts

7 Concave/lintel truss with braces

8 Concave/lintel truss with struts

9 Gable truss with radial strut

10 Gable truss with center compression struts

11 Radial brace truss

12 Flat chord truss with compression struts

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Auditorium Utica, NY
Architect: Gehron & Seltzer
Engineer: Lev Zetlin

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Cable truss test models

Left top: 2-way lintel truss

Left bottom: Flat truss
Below: Truss dome

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• Olympic pool
• 4 multipurpose gyms
• Cable trusses, 120’ span

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Loyola University Pavilion
Architect: Kahn, Kappe, Lottery, Boccato
Engineer: Reiss and Brown
Consultant: Dr Schierle
Spanning the long way provides openings
to join outdoor seating for large events

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 Watts Tower Crescent
Architect: Ado / Schierle
Engineer: ASI

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Tensile structures Prof Schierle 70
 Stadium roof Oldenburg, Germany
Engineer: Schlaich Bergermann
Cable truss & anticlastic membrane panels

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Tensile structures Prof Schierle 71
 Material for tensilemembrane:
Structural Fabric
Structural fabric is the material that defines lightweight tensile structures.

Requirements
As a primary structural element, it must have the strength to span
between supporting elements, carry snow and wind loads, and be safe to
walk on.
As enclosure element, it needs to be airtight, waterproof, fire resistant and
durable.
As daily use element, it requires to transmit daylight, reflect heat, control
sound, and be easy tokeep clean.

Sample Materials
Fiberglass, Polyester Cloth, PVC,Teflon.
TYPES OF FABRIC MEMBRANES

• PVC Polyvinyl chloride

• Less expensive
• 15 to 20 year life span
• Easy to erect
• Silicon Glass
• Higher tensile strength
• Brittle, subject to damage from flexing
• 30+ year life span

• Teflon glass
• Similar to silicon glass, lessbrittle.
 MEMBRANE
Forms the enclosure of the structure.
Connections can be glued or heat welded.
• Connection to concrete foundation pillar

Mast Support
Cables

Cables serve a number of functions in tensile structure applications:

• reinforcement of the fabric where the spans and stresses get

too large.
• linear tension support elements alongedges; tie-backs and stays
to stabilize rigid support element.

Requirements
The cables need to be light, high-strength and flexible to some
extent.

Sample Materials
High Strength Bridge Strand, Steel, Glass Fiber.
High-strength SteelCablE

grid shows the

base of cable in
structures
 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

• Longer life cycles of materials.

• Materials can be re-used in form.

• Most materials are completely recyclable.

• Less impact on site.

• Less construction debris afterdemolition.

ADVANTAGES FABRIC TENSILE STRUCTURE

1. One of the main advantages of fabric structure is that

you can install it rapidly and easily.
2. Tension fabric buildings provide abundant daytime
lighting that is bright and natural,
3. The interior of a fabric structure is an inviting
environment that people, plants and animals thrive
in.
4. Fabric buildings are Acoustics exceptional; no sounds
of pelting rain.
‫ﺭﺷﻖ‬
5. Fabric buildings have Low cost per square foot, Initial
investment is flow.
6. Fabric buildings are self cleaning; never needs painting;
dust, dirt, pollutants wash off with Water no rotting
parts to replace.
7. Fabric structures are durable, corrosion resistance. salt,
fertilizer and other corrosive materials have virtually no
effect on polyethylene fabric.
8. Flexibility, when a large clear span building with tall
overhead clearances is needed, a fabric structure is an
economical solution.

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Thank You

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