Lecture On Tensile Structures

A Lecture for Building Technology 5 Ar. Patrick N.
Rodriguez
MMCL-MITL
Image: Serge Ferrari

ARC134P BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q DEFINITION
§ The term tensile structures describes the

category of buildings in which the load
bearing capacity is achieved through tension
stress in the majority of the components,
such as cables, technical fabrics or foils.
§ It can also be defined as a structure where the

exterior shell is a fabric material spread over a
framework. The fabric is maintained in tension
in all directions to provide stability.
§ Tensile structure is the term usually used to

refer to the construction of roofs using a
membrane held in place on steel cables.
Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez
MMCL-MITL
Source:New Age Materials and Construction
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q BRIEF HISTORY
§ Historically inspired by some of the first man-

made shelters—such as the black tents first
developed using camel leather by the nomads
of the Sahara Desert, Saudi Arabia, and Iran as
well as the structures used by Native American
tribes.
§ Romans even covered the Colosseum with

massive canopies, hoisted by an intricate
system of pulleys, to protect the audience from
the elements.

Source:New Age Materials and Construction MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q BRIEF HISTORY
§ Predominantly used in coverings of sports

centers, of arenas, and industrial and
agroindustrial constructions, tensile
structures are based on the old systems
used during the Roman Empire.

TENSILE STRUCTURES
q BRIEF HISTORY
§ However, from the Roman period until the

mid-20th century, due to the low demand,
usability, and lack of manufacturers of cables,
canvasses, and connections capable of resisting
t h e fo r c e s g e n e ra t e d , t h e r e w e r e fe w
technological advances.
§ It was only after the Industrial Revolution and

the triggering of the era of Fordism that new
developments were able to meet the intrinsic
needs of this construction system.

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TENSILE STRUCTURES
q BRIEF HISTORY
§ The low cost of mass production and the demand for systems
capable of adapting to the most varied terrains with large spans,
such as circus tents for example, encouraged the development of the
technique.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q BRIEF HISTORY
§ The first development of practical calculations
o f st re s s e s a n d d efo r m at i o n s o f te n s i l e
structures, shells and membranes was done by
Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov.

MMCL-MITL
Source: https://theconstructor.org/
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q BRIEF HISTORY
§ He designed eight tensile structures

and thin-shell structures exhibition
pavilions for the Nizhny Novgorod Fair
of 1896, covering the area of 27,000
square meters.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q BRIEF HISTORY
§ In recent days, tensile structures have § Some of the notable building are Munich
found great popularity and have been OlympiaPark, The Millennium Dome
used in many places. London and Ashford Designer Outlet
United Kingdom.

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TENSILE STRUCTURES
q TYPES OF TENSILE STRUCTURES
membrane- mesh-
pneumatic
tensioned tensioned
structures
structures structures

TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Membrane-Tensioned Structures
§ Tension Membrane or Tensile Membrane is tensioned fabric is stretched over
high-grade PVC and a steel framework, creating a shaded, weatherproofed
area for gathering. Tension membrane structures are a stunning, effective,
long-lasting envelope protector.

MMCL-MITL
Source: https://www.projectshade.com.au/
TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Mesh-Tensioned Structures
§ A mesh of cables carries the intrinsic forces, transmitting

them to separate elements, for example, sheets of glass or
wood..

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Pneumatic Structures
§ Pneumatic structures are membrane § They are extremely lightweight structures;

structures comprised of the volume of the membranes usually consist of ETFE foils.
inflated air.

Source:https://www.dlubal.com/ MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES

MMCL-MITL
Source:https://www.dlubal.com/
TENSILE STRUCTURES

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
Source:https://www.dlubal.com/ Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

TENSILE STRUCTURES

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES

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TENSILE STRUCTURES
q CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
§ Structurally, the system is formalized by
combining three elements: membranes, rigid
structures such as pole and masts, and cables.
§ The following are types of tensile

membranes which are widely used:
Ø PVC (Poly-vinyl Chloride)

Ø PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene)

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Types of Tensile Membranes
o PVC (Poly-vinylChloride)
§ PVC coated polyester can be a great

material choice for both permanent and
temporary tensile fabric structures.
§ PVC coated polyester is known for its

excellent strength, flexibility, translucency
and affordability,
Source:https://architizer.com/
TENSILE STRUCTURES
o PVC (Poly-vinylChloride)
§ The PVC coating, which is applied to

polyesterincludes UV stabilizers, fire
retardant additives, and anti-fungicides.
§ PVC coated polyester fabrics have a

structural lifespan greater than 20 years.
TENSILE STRUCTURES
o PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene)
§ PTFE coated glass cloth was developed by

DuPont in the 1960s and has been used to
create tensile fabric structures since the
early 1970s
§ Originally, the material had a lifespan of 25

years; between 30 and 50 years with
present day expectations.

Source:https://architizer.com/ MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
o PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene)
§ It is considered to be the highest quality

m ate r i a l fo r c re at i n g te n s i l e fa b r i c
membranes.
§ One of the most remarkable qualities of

PTFE is that it is actively bleached by UV
light, which means that it is easy to
maintain a crisp bright white appearance
over the course of decades.
TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Pole/Support
§ There are two types of support: direct and

indirect.
§ The direct supports are those in which the
construction is arranged directly on the
rest of the building structure, while the
indirect support is arranged from a raised
point such as a mast.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Cables
§ The cables, which are responsible for the

distribution of the tensile stresses and the
hardening of the canvasses, are classified in one
of two ways according to the action which they
perform: load-bearing and stabilizing.
§ The load-bearing cables are those that directly
receive the external loads, fixed at the highest
points.
§ Stabilizing cables are responsible for

strengthening the load-bearing cables and cross
the load-bearing cables orthogonally.
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q FABRIC STRUCTURES -ROOF TYPES
§ Saddle Roof
§ Mast Supported
§ Arch Supported
§ Combinations

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TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Saddle Roof
§ A saddle roof is a roof form which follows a

convex curve about one axis and a concave
curve about the other.
§ The hyperbolic paraboloid form has been

used for roofs at various times since it is
easily constructed from straight sections of
lumber, ste e l , o r o t h e r co nve nt i o n a l
materials.
Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/
TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Mast Supported Roof
§ Tent-like in appearance, mast supported

structures typically have one or sometimes
several peaks that are supported by either
interior or perimeter masts.
§ The fabric is attached to the interior mast by

special connections, usually a bale ring or cable
loop.
§ Openings are typically ovoid or elliptical. The

fabric that extends from the top of the opening
is seamed and can necessitate patterning.
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TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Arch Supported Roof
§ Curved compression members are used as the

main supporting elements and cross arches are
used for lateral stability.
§ The buckling length of the arch chord can be
reduced by discretely or continuously
supporting the chord with tension elements or
systems comprised of cables or membranes.

TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Combinations
§ Combination of several support types.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q FABRIC STRUCTURES - COMPONENTS
v Base Plate
§ Connection to concrete
foundation pillar.
v Membranes
§ Fo r m s t h e e n c l o s u r e o f t h e
structure.
ü PVC coated polyester

(polyvinylchloride)
ü Silicon coated glass
ü Te f l o n c o a t e d g l a s s P.T. F. E
(polytetrafluroethylene)
MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Bale Ring/Membrane Plate
§ Provide a link between the membrane

and structural elements.
§ Bale rings are used at the top of

conical shapes.
§ Membrane plates accept centenary
cables and pin connection hardware.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Channel
§ With grommets and lacing. Used with

PVC-coated polyester fabric where the
edge has grommets spaced at frequent
intervals.
§ Rope is laced through the grommets and

to a tie rod within the channel.

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TENSILE STRUCTURES
v Cable Clamps
§ Used mainly for PTFE-coated fiber

glass fabric , but also for PVC
coated poly ester fabric when edge
spans are longer than 20 m.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q AESTHETICS
v Size
§ Tensile fabric can be manufactured in

virtually any size and shape.
§ The size of each panel is typically derived

from a computer generated model, which is
then modified to account for the way fabric
will change during installation.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q AESTHETICS
v Color
§ When it comes to tensile fabrics, white is by

far the industry standard.
§ By using a light colored fabric, you can

effectively reduce the amount of heat that
is attracted to the building, making it a more
sustainable choice.
§ The material is naturally bleached by UV

light such as the PTFE..
MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q AESTHETICS
v Translucency
§ PVC coated polyester can be manufactured

with varying levels of transparency and light
transmission, ranging from very transparent
to completely opaque.
§ PTFE varies in translucency, with light

transmission commonly ranging from 7% to
15%.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q PERFORMANCE
v Thermal Performance
§ Thermal, a fabric by Architen Landrell uses

multiple layers to form an external envelope
that can achieve U-Values up to 0.18 for
virtually any building, overcoming the
thermal limitations previously associated
with tensile fabrics.
§ Several other manufacturers use Aerogel —

t o d a y ’s h i g h e s t p e r fo r m i n g t h e r m a l
insulation — in order to increase the thermal
insulation value of tensile fabric structures.
MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q PERFORMANCE
v Acoustics
§ Similar to thermal insulation, tensile fabric

structures are available with acoustical liners,
that can effectively alter reverberation time and
increase speech intelligibility within a space.
v Maintenance
§ Tensile fabric structures are lauded for their ease

of maintenance.
§ Many manufacturers recommend that fabric
structures undergo an annual inspection, in order
to ensure that every part is functioning properly.
MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q PERFORMANCE
v Rainwater
§ Tensile fabric structures should be designed

to channel water to the perimeter, and run
off naturally.
§ Many manufacturers can also installed

gutters, which will redirect any water to the
ground and away from the structure.

MMCL-MITL
TENSILE STRUCTURES
q ADVANTAGES VS DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
§ Longer life cycles of materials. § Little to no rigidity

§ Materials can be re-used in form. § Loss of tension is dangerous for stability
§ Most materials are completely recyclable. § Thermal values limit use
§ Less impact on site.
§ Less construction debris after demolition.
§ Unique designs.
§ Lightweight and flexible.
§ Environmentally sensitive.
§ High strength weight ratio.
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A Lecture for Building Technology 5 Ar. Patrick N.

Image: Serge Ferrari

§ The term tensile structures describes the

§ It can also be defined as a structure where the

§ Tensile structure is the term usually used to

§ Historically inspired by some of the first man-

§ Romans even covered the Colosseum with

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ Predominantly used in coverings of sports

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ However, from the Roman period until the

§ It was only after the Industrial Revolution and

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ He designed eight tensile structures

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ A mesh of cables carries the intrinsic forces, transmitting

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ Pneumatic structures are membrane § They are extremely lightweight structures;

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Source:https://www.dlubal.com/ Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ The following are types of tensile

Ø PVC (Poly-vinyl Chloride)

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ PVC coated polyester can be a great

§ PVC coated polyester is known for its

§ The PVC coating, which is applied to

§ PVC coated polyester fabrics have a

§ PTFE coated glass cloth was developed by

§ Originally, the material had a lifespan of 25

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ It is considered to be the highest quality

§ One of the most remarkable qualities of

§ There are two types of support: direct and

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ The cables, which are responsible for the

§ Stabilizing cables are responsible for

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ A saddle roof is a roof form which follows a

§ The hyperbolic paraboloid form has been

v Mast Supported Roof

§ Tent-like in appearance, mast supported

§ The fabric is attached to the interior mast by

§ Openings are typically ovoid or elliptical. The

§ Curved compression members are used as the

Source:New Age Materials and Construction

§ Combination of several support types.

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

ü PVC coated polyester

§ Provide a link between the membrane

§ Bale rings are used at the top of

Ar. Patrick N. Rodriguez

§ With grommets and lacing. Used with

§ Rope is laced through the grommets and