Architectural Fabric Structures Research Articles

Permanent architectural fabric structures — performance of the new materials technology

Recent developments in fabric materials technology have fundamentally altered the nature of tent or ‘tension structure’ construction. The paper explores the performance of these fabrics in several areas. Glass fibre scrims with ‘ Teflon’ or silicone coatings have yielded fabrics with strip tensile strengths of up to 150 kg per cm. width and lifespans of 25 to 30 years. Fabric may now be used in permanent structures with long spans and low curvature. Meanwhile, difficulty in handling these enormous membranes has eliminated the traditional portability of tents. Both Teflon and silicone coated products have demonstrated translucency adequate for plant growth. They have also demonstrated ability to meet most building code requirements for flame spread, combustibility and resistance to burning brands. The new fabric roofs provide low energy use in sunny, temperate climates, and new developments in insulated fabrics and other innovations provide improved energy performance in even cold, low sunlight climates. Characteristics of the different glass fibre fabrics are explored, their performance record is discussed, and the viability of fabric for future construction is evaluated.