For many years, inflatable structures and membrane-enclosed structures have proved useful for a variety of purposes. Recently, structures that combine highly-pressurised inflatable arch members with light fabric membrane coverings have been developed for use as a variation of such structural systems. These structures could have large openings and be utilised as aircraft hangars, vehicle maintenance shelters, medical aid stations, and emergency shelters following disasters. Two physical models of such structures are tested in this study. First they are placed in wind tunnels at various orientations to the airflow, and their dynamic responses are observed. Then they are subjected to weights simulating snow loads, and the weights are increased until either the material fails or the structure collapses.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
DentR. N., Principles of Pneumatic Architecture, Wiley, New York, 1972.
2.
OttoF., ed., Tensile Structures, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1973.
FirtV., Formfinding and Dynamics of Air Supported Membrane Structures, Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1983.
5.
CookM.HappoldE., A Survey of Air-Supported Structures, in: The Design of Air-Supported Structures, The Institution of Structural Engineers, London, 1984, 7–10.
6.
HájekM.HolubZ., Some Problems Concerning the Testing of Materials for Pneumatic Structures, in: Proceedings of the 1st International Colloquium on Pneumatic Structures, IASS, 1967, 159–162.
7.
ReffellB., High Pressure Structures, Proceedings of the 1st International Colloquium on Pneumatic Structures, IASS, 1967, 64–67.
8.
PriceC.NewbyF., Air Structures, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1971.
9.
HampelJ. W.BrownG. J.SharplessG. C., High Pressure Inflatable Structures Incorporating Highly Oriented Fibers, in: Proceedings of the 20th Army Science Conference: Science and Technology for Force XXI (vol. II), 1996, 953–957.
RöntschG.BöhmeF., Model Analysis of a Semi-Cylindrical Air-Supported Hull, in: Proceedings of the 1st International Colloquium on Pneumatic Structures, IASS, 1967, 147–150.
12.
LiC.-T.LeonardJ. W., Finite Element Analysis of Inflatable Shells, Journal of the Engineering Mechanics Division, ASCE, 99, 1973, 495–514.
13.
GeigerD. H., Membrane Structures, in: WilkesJ. A., ed., Encyclopaedia of Architecture (vol. 3), Wiley, New York, 1989, 398–437.
14.
TurkkanN.SrivastavaN. K., A Microcomputer-Based Analysis and Design of Air-Supported Cylindrical Membranes, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 19, 1992, 1032–1040.
15.
BegerG.MacherE., Results of Wind Tunnel Tests on Some Pneumatic Structures, Proceedings of the 1st International Colloquium on Pneumatic Structures, IASS, 1967, 142–146.
16.
RossE. W.Jr., Large Deflections of an Inflated Cylindrical Tent, Journal of Applied Mechanics, 36, 1969, 845–851.
17.
DietzA. E.ProfittR. B.ChabotR. S.MoakE. L.MonegoC. J., Wind Tunnel Tests and Analyses for Ground-Mounted. Air-Supported Structures (Revised), TR 70-7-GP, U.S Army Natick Laboratories, Natick, Massachusetts, 1969.
18.
NiemannH.-J., Wind-Tunnel Experiments on Aeroelastic Models of Air-Supported Structures, in: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Pneumatic Structures, paper No 5-11, Delft, 1972.
19.
UemuraM., Membrane Tension and Deformation in Cylindrical Pneumatic Structures Subject to Wind Loads, in: YokooY., eds., Tension Structures and Space Frames, Architectural Institute of Japan, Tokyo, 1972, 199–209.
20.
KuniedaH., Flutter of Hanging Roofs and Curved Membrane Roofs, International Journal of Solids and Structures, 11, 1975, 477–492.
21.
KuniedaH.YokoyamaY.ArakawaM., Cylindrical Pneumatic Membrane Structures Subject to Wind, Journal of the Engineering Mechanics Division. ASCE, 107, 1981, 851–867.
22.
NewmanB. G.GolandD., Two-Dimensional Inflated Buildings in a Cross Wind, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 117, 1982, 507–530.
23.
SpinelliP., Dynamic Response Under Wind of a Cylindrical Air-Supported Structure, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 11, 1983, 213–224.
24.
SrivastavaN. K.TurkkanN.DickeyR., Wind Tunnel Study of a Flexible Membrane Structure, in: NooshinH., ed., Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Space Structures, Elsevier, London, 1984, 785–790.
25.
KawamuraS.KiuchiT., An Experimental Study of a One-Membrane Type Pneumatic Structure - Wind Load and Response, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 23, 1986, 127–140.
26.
HanS.OlsonM. D., Interactive Analysis of Wind-Loaded Pneumatic Membrane Structures, Computers & Structures, 25, 1987, 699–712.
27.
KassemM.NovakM., Wind-Induced Response of Hemispherical Air-Supported Structures, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 41, 1992, 1718–1737.
28.
MatsumotoT., Aeroelastic Modelling of Air-Supported Roofs, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 42, 1992, 1497–1507.
29.
SrivastavaN. K.TurkkanN., Experimental Determination of Wind Pressure Distribution for Cylindrical and Spherical Flexible Membrane Structures, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 22, 1995, 23–31.
30.
TurkkanN.SrivastavaN. K., Prediction of Wind Load Distribution for Air-Supported Structures Using Neural Networks, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 22, 1995, 453–461.
31.
SygulskiR., Dynamic Stability of Pneumatic Structures in Wind: Theory and Experiment, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 10, 1996, 945–963.
32.
CarradineD. M., Experiments on the Response of Arch-Supported Membrane Shelters to Snow and Wind Loading, M. S. Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1998.
33.
KimJ.-Y.PlautR. H.KwunT.-J., Analysis of Tent-Like Structures Supported by Pressurised Fabric Arches, in: HoughR.MelchersR., eds., Lightweight Structures in Architecture, Engineering and Construction, Vol. 2, Lightweight Structures Association of Australia, Randwick, 1998, 821–829.
