Membrane structures are spatial structures made out of
tensioned membranes. The structural use of membranes
can be divided into pneumatic structures, tensile
membrane structures, and cable domes.
PNEUMATIC STRUCTURE TENSILE MEMBRANE STRUCTURE
In these three kinds of structure, membranes work
together with cables, columns and other construction A system of components that is supported by air in the Tensile structure is the term usually used to refer to the
same manner that a balloon is supported by air. The construction of roofs using a membrane held in place on steel
members to find a form. Membranes are also used as non-
components of a pneumatic structure consist of a cables. Their main characteristics are the way in which they
structural cladding, as at the Beijing National Stadium membrane, supporting cables, and anchorage system and work under stress tensile, their ease of pre-fabrication, their
where the spaces between the massive steel structural an HVAC system. ability to cover large spans, and their malleability. This
members are infilled with PTFE coated glass fiber fabric 2 TYPES: structural system calls for a small amount of material thanks to
and ETFE foil. The other major building on the site, built for High profile pneumatic structures are often used as the use of thin canvases, which when stretched using steel
the 2008 Summer Olympics, is the Beijing National temporary structures and are usually freestanding and cables, create surfaces capable of overcoming the forces
Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube. It is have little or no foundation. These types of pneumatic
imposed upon them.
structures are “less common today because the cost of
entirely clad in 100,000 square metres of inflated ETFE foil
comparable tension fabric structures has been reduced”.
cushions arranged as an apparently random cellular
structure. Low Profile pneumatic structures are mostly used to span
great distances such as sports arenas and tend to
be placed on top of a building as a roof instead of on the
ground as an individual structure. The membrane is usually
many large pieces that are seamed together. These seams
should overlap by several inches in order to prevent the
loss of air. Holding the membrane in place are cables,
usually steel. The HVAC system manages the rate of air
flow into the structure to counteract the air loss.
A thin shell is defined as a shell with a thickness which is
small compared to its other dimensions and in which
deformations are not large compared to thickness. A
primary difference between a shell structure and a plate
structure is that, in the unstressed state, the shell structure CABLE DOMES
has curvature as opposed to the plates structure which is
Cable dome consists of ridge cables, diagonal cables, hoop cables, vertical struts, an inner tension ring and an outer compression
flat. Membrane action in a shell is primarily caused by in-
ring. To ensure the structural feasibility, continuous cables are often subjected to tension and individual struts subjected to
plane forces (plane stress), but there may be secondary compression. The rigidity of the dome is a result of self-stress equilibrium between cables and struts.
forces resulting from flexural deformations. Where a flat
plate acts similar to a beam with bending and shear
stresses, shells are analogous to a cable which resists
loads through tensile stresses. The ideal thin shell must be
capable of developing both tension and compression.
PLATE TITLE STUDENT RATING
BARNACHEA, ASHLEY S.
MEMBRANE
INSTRUCTOR
STRUCTURE
[Link] QUIJANO, UAP