Tensile Structural Form

By Zach Reese

Tensile structures were seen most in tents, until a Russian

engineer Vladimir Shukhov used the idea in eight of his
buildings for the Nizhny Novgorod Fair of 1895. (As seen to the
top left)
Another famous person to use this idea and form is German
architect and engineer Frei Otto. He used the idea to create the
West German pavilion at Expo 67 and the 1972 summer
Olympic stadium in Munich, Germany.

The first ever steel tensile structure built. It was

made by Vladimir Shukhov. Nizhny Novgorod,
1895

The most common of materials used are PFE-coated fiberglass

and PVC-coated polyester. These are woven materials with
different strengths depending on the direction and usage. Also
needed are cables, cable materials can range from high
strength steel, all the way to aramid fibers.
Building that use Tensile is usually curved. Because of this the
fabric used stretches making it stiffer and more durable. But if
the fabric is pulled and extended to far it will break.

This is Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center, largest

tensile structure in the world. Located in Astana,
capital city of Kazakhstan, 2010 .

This is where the

initial weight and
tension of the ropes
that hold the fabric
up are distributed.
These beams help
support the weight
of the fabric and
hold them in place.