Tensile structure

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Sidney Myer Music Bowl.jpg A tensile structure is a building that is made from materials under tension — this could be a Cable net supporting a fabric or sheet material, or it could be made entirely from fabric. Most often used just for the roof of a building, it is a relatively new form of construction. An early use of a membrane-covered tensile structure is the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, constructed in 1958. The concept was later pioneered by German architect Frei Otto, who first used the idea in the construction of the German pavilion at Expo '67. Frei next used the idea for the roof of the Olympic Stadium for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Steady technological progress has increased the popularity of fabric-roofed structures. The low weight of the materials makes construction easier and cheaper than standard designs, especially when vast open spaces have to be covered. Some recent tensile structures are the Millennium Dome in London, the Pontiac Silverdome, the Denver Airport, and the Mecca airport. Common materials for the fabric are Teflon coated fibreglass and PVC coated Polyester.

Air-supported structures are a form of tensile structures where the building envelope is under tension from and supported by pressurized air only.