Membrane Structures Are Spatial Structures Made Out of Tensioned Membranes
Membrane Structures Are Spatial Structures Made Out of Tensioned Membranes
Also ropes and cables are flexible. If a rope hangs freely under its dead weight it
takes the form of a catenary curve. The higher the curvature, the lower is the
horizontal component of the reaction forces.
The form changes for different point loads.
A fabric that hangs freely under its dead weight also changes its shape if it is
loaded, it could even reverse its form
Tension implies an optimal use of the material, since the whole section is
uniformly stressed. Moreover there is no buckling problem, like it is the case for
compression.
The form finding of fabric structures tries to take full advantage of the tensile
strength of the material, while preventing negative stresses to occur.
To withstand upward and downward loads, a cable has to be stabilized and
Pretension: compression in this case means a reduction of the initial pretension..
The same approach has to be considered for fabric roofs: due to their low dead
weight, both upward and downward wind loads become important. The membrane
needs to be pretension.
Balloons resist external loads by means of an inner pressure.
In circus tents internal poles and ropes are used to introduce the pretension in the
ADVANCE
CONSTRUCTION
REPORT ON
MEMBRANE STRUCTURE
12/AR/003