Abstract

Astechnology developed, at least 5,000 years people have been using membranestructures (skins or fabrics) to define space and create shelter. Howevermembrane structures were not maximized for their performance. This was partlydue to the fact that skins are inherently small, and that the materialsavailable to them were not of high tensile strength. Fabrics were primarilyused to an outer skin that drapes over a skeleton structure. The skeletonprovides most of the structural performance. Tension structures use fabrics asthe primarily structural element. There is no draping over skeletons; ratherthe tension built up in the fabric membrane surface defines the space whileproviding shelter and other structural aspects. The guiding principle behindthese structures is the minimal surface principle, such as that displayed byhyperbolic paraboloids (so called "monkey saddle") observed inmaterials such as soap bubbles and other minimal surface materials. Thestructures combined different architectural configurations as well as differentfabrics with different mechanical response. These were designed and fabricatedwhich allow quantitatively variable tension parameters in a consistent mannerallowing equitable comparison amongst different fabric structures.Visualization was performed using photographic techniques as well as 3Drendering software.

Keywords:membrane structures, Tension structures, hyperbolic paraboloids, renderingsoftware.


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The authors areassociated with Department Of Fashion Technology, Angel College of Engineering& Technology., Tirupur.