Structural Stability Analysis of Pneumatic Membrane Architecture under Influence of Internal Fire

Abstract

A coal storage shed taking advantage of pneumatic membrane structure was taken for example to research structural stability of pneumatic membrane architecture under influence of internal fire. Combustion characteristics of the membrane material was studied experimentally and the critical temperature generating holes on the heated material was got. Then, mathematical model of the structure was established to calculate the minimum difference between internal air pressure and the external required for stability, and to critical hole area in fire. Last, full-size fire field model of the shed was built to simulate membrane surface temperature distribution, and structural stability of the pneumatic membrane shed under influence of internal fire was judged with the critical hole temperature and the area. The results show that: critical hole temperature is somewhere between 365.5°C and 437.6°C. The minimum difference is 34.73 Pa, and the critical hole area is 19.579 m2. In the worst fire scene, the shed collapses likely for hole area on the membrane surface is bigger than the critical hole area. In engineering applications of pneumatic membrane architecture, there should be a safe distance from internal fire loads to the membrane above them.