PNEUMATIC STRUCTURES

INTRODUCTION TO PNEUMATIC STRUCTURES

• Pneumatic structure is a membrane which carries
load developed from the tensile stresses
• Its stabilization is done by pre-stressing the
membrane either by
a. Applying an external force which pulls the
membrane taut.
b. Internal pressuring if the membrane is volume
enclosing.

Such structures are called “pneumatic structure”

• These structures can create artificial environments
adaptable to human use.
• Tremendous freedom
• Designing large free spaces

•Pneumatic is derived from the greek word “pneuma”(meaning breath of air)thus these are the structure which
are supported by air
 TYPES OF PNEUMATIC STRUCTURES
AIR SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
•It consist of a single membrane(enclosing a functionally used spaces)
•Supported by a small internal pressure difference

•They have air higher than the atmospheric pressure supporting the envelope
•Air locks or revolving doors helps to maintain the internal pressure.
•Air must be constantly provided
•Life span 20-25 years
•Relatively low cost
•Either anchored to the ground or to the wall so that leakage is prevented.
•Installed easily
AIR INFLATED STRUCTURES
•It is supported by pressurized air contained within inflated building element.
•The pressurized air in the pillow serves only to stabilizing the load carrying membrane.
•The covered space is not pressurized

•Supporting frames consist of air under high pressure

•Internal pressure of building remains at atmospheric pressure
•There is no restrictions in numbers and size of openings
•Ability to support itself
•Potential to support an attached structure
PRINCIPLE
•Use of relatively thin membrane supported by a pressure difference.
•Dead weight of the space envelope is balanced.
•Cannot be indented by asymmetrical loading.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PNEUMATIC

STRUCTURES
LIGHT WEIGHT SPAN SAFETY

•The weight of the structure as •There is no theoretical •Pneumatic structures are

compared to the area it cover is very maximum span safer than any other
less •To span a distance of 36 km for structures.
•The weight of the membrane roof , a normal building is hard while •Fire resistance structures.
even when it is stiffened by cables is such spans are quite possible for
very small pneumatics.
•Low air pressure is sufficient to HUMAN HEALTH QUICK ERECTION &
GOOD NATURAL
balance it. DISMANTILING
LIGHTING
•Pressure not more than 80-
•If envelope is made up of 100mm and not not less than 60 •Suitable for temporary
transparent material , good mm construction
natural light enter into the •Man can withstand pressure •1 km2 area can be establish
structure. between 0.20atm to 3 atm. in less than 10 hr.
 SYSTEM COMPONENTS

ENVELOPE
•They can be made up of different materials.
•Cannot be used as one continuous material.
•Material are seamed together by sealing heat bonding or mechanical jointing.
•The design of the envelope depends on an evenly pressurized environment.

CABLE SYSTEM

•They act as the supporting system

•They experience tension force due to the upward force of the air.
•Can be placed in one or two directions to create a network and for better stability
•They do not fail since they are pulled tight enough to absorb the external loads.

ENTRANCE

•Doors can be ordinary doors or airlocks.

•Airlock minimize the chances of having an unevenly pressurized environment.
 FOUNDATION
•Secured to ground using heavy weight , ground
anchors or attached to a foundation.
•Weight of the material and the wind loads are
used to determine the most appropriate anchoring
system.
•Bigger structure ,reinforcing cables or nets are
used
•Dependent pneumatic structure (roof only air
supported structure)
•The envelope is anchored to the main structure.
•Anchoring is done to soil ,the cable is attached to
the anchor directly inserted and frictional forces of
the soil to hold it down
•Soil anchoring systems include screw , disk,
expanding EQUIPMENT
UMPING duckbill and arrowhead anchors

•Supply and maintain internal pressure

•Fans, blowers or compressors are used for constant supply of air.
•Amount of air required depends on the weight of the material and the wind pressure
 CLASSIFICATION OF PNEUMATIC STRUCTURES
PNEUMATIC STRUCTURES CAN BE FURTHER SUBDIVIDED AS :

A. Type of Differential Pressure

B. Degree of differential
C. Type of surface curvature
D. Proportion

TYPE OF DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE

•Pneumatic structure use either positive pressure or
negative pressure.
•Positive Pressure system, the membrane is always
curved outwards , whereas in negative pressure systems
the membrane is curved inwards.
•Curved inwards there is a tendency of water logging
&snow accumulation.
•Negative pressure systems require high supports at the
edge or in the center which makes it more expensive.
B. DEGREE OF
DIFFERENTIAL
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS
These systems are provided with low pressure
air, hence have to be provided with continuous
supply of air.

HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEMS

•Easy erection & dismantling
•High pressure air inflated systems are either
having a single valve system or a double valve
systems which avoids its collapse.

TYPES OF SURFACE CURVATURE

These structures can also be classified
according to the types of curvature on the
outer surface.
•Single curved
•Double curved in the same direction Double
or curved in the same direction or Doubly curved in opposite
synclastics synclastics direction or anticlastic
•Doubly curved in opposite direction or
anticlastic

PROPORTIONS
On the basis of different proportions,
pneumatic structures can be:
•Two dimension of similar size and one larger
dimension
Ex: Tubes,Masts,Columns,Towers
•Two dimension of similar size and one
 MATERIALS

FIBERGLASS
•The High tensile strength ,elastic behavior and durability
•Coated with Teflon or silicone to increase resistance to extreme
temperatures and UV radiation.

ETFE
•It is very energy efficient because of transparency ,insulation and UV
resistance.
•It is also light weight ,has an life span of 20 years and is recyclable.

POLYESTER
•Most common envelope material for smaller structures.
•PVC-coated polyester is common for flexible, smaller air supported
structures.
•The PVC is applied to the polyester using a bonding or adhesive agent.
NYLON
•Vinyl-coated nylon has more strength , durability and
stretch than polyester
•They have higher cost

ANCHOR MATERIALS
•The anchor material depends on the application and size of the pneumatic structure

STEEL CABLES
•Steel wires are twisted into strands which are then twisted around a core
to form the cable.

BALLASSTS
•Materials for ballasts of smaller structures include sand bags, concrete blocks or bricks.
•The ballasts must be placed around the perimeter of the structure to evenly distribute the load.
 APPLICATIONS

MILITARY STRUCTURES STRUCTURES FOR BOTANICAL

For storage for emergency GARDENS, ZOOLOGICAL
medical operations & to protect GARDENS,GREENHOUSE,HOTH
radar stations from weather OUSE
conditions

SPORTS &RECREATIONAL EXIBITION & CONVENTION TRAVERSING BRIDGE

CENTRES CENTRES STRUCTURES
Ability to span great distances
without beams and columns
 ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

• Needs continuous maintenance of

• Light in weight excess pressure in the envelope
• Good for large spans without internal • Continuous fan operation is required
supports
• Rapid assemble and disassemble to maintain pressure
• Low initial and operating cost • Insulation is poor compared to hard-
• Easy to transport when deflated
walled structures
• Service Life is relatively short
 THE EDEN PROJECT
LOCATION: Cornwall, UK
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE/ELEVATION: 50°N 4°W, 213' above sea level
BUILDING TYPE: Biome
LARGEST BIOME: 240m long, 55m high, 110m wide
COMPLETION: April 2001
CLIENT: UK Millenium Project for the Eden Trust
DESIGN TEAM: Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners, Tim Smit, Arup Engineering

•In the spring of 2001, on the south-western tip of England in Cornwall, the Eden Project was opened to the public.
•This project is, along with the dome and the ferries wheel in London, one of the largest British millennium projects.
•In an outdoor area of 15 ha, and in two giant greenhouses, the modern Garden of Eden presents different climate
zones of the world with their typical vegetation.
•The 125 million Euro project is a great success.
•The Garden of Eden has been called the eighth wonder of the world by the British press.
STRUCTURAL CONCEPT

•The first layout made by the

architects of Nicholas Grimshaw
and Partners (NGP) together with
the engineers of Anthony Hunt
Associates (AHA) was similar to
the London Waterloo train station

•The architects and engineers of

NGP and AHA then developed a
single-layered domes structure
based on a hexagonal geometry
In 1997 MERO joined the Eden
Project.

•After some preliminary studies it

was found, that the single-layered
structure in these large
dimensions could not be built
economically and that the
deformation was too large.
MATERIALS

ETFE
• Ethelene tetra‐fluoro‐ethelene
• Trade name “Tefzel”
•High corrosive resistance
•Three times larger load carrying capacity
•Bears 400 times its self weight
• Compared to glass, ETFE is 1% the weight
•Transmits more light
•Installation cost reduced by 24% to 70%
•Self cleaning and recyclable
•Ability to stretch to three times its length without loss of
elasticity
•Three layered pillow
•Each pillow attached to air supply system
•Inside pressure is about 300 pascals
•Maximum height of inflated pillow is 10‐ 15% of the maximum
span
Ventilation louvres at the bottom and the windows at the top allow for efficient natural ventilation
•The cushion is inflated using a central air pump system (Fig.6 b) after the air hose is connected, which keeps
track of the cushion's internal pressure, temperature, and humidity.
• The cushion's pressure can be altered using the control system and central pump to respond to various external
stimuli.
• Systems for cushioning with ETFE foil come in a variety of sizes and shapes.
•By using a variety of films with a specific texture, the cushion-like system's thermal insulation properties can be
altered
HEX - NET
•Grid consists of series of hexagons and pentagons Rigid connections through bowl nodes Maximum grid span is 11
m, member size is 193 mm dia

TRI - HEX – NET

•Single layer domes are restricted to a span of approximately 100ft. ( 30m).
•Domes greater than this span employ a double layer space frame configuration for greater stability and
rigidity.
GEOMETRY
•The Eden domes are geodesic spherical networks.
•They are "spherical" because the elements of a network, normally the nodal points, lie on the surface of a
sphere.
•Some other ways to project or map networks on spherical surfaces have been developed by Emde in Germany,
Fuller in America and Pavlov in Russia.
•The majority of spherical geodesic networks in building practice are derived from the platonic solids
icosahedron and dodecahedron.
•Thus, a geodesic network can be obtained by projecting or mapping in a prescribed way
The nodal theof
point tessellated
the internalfaces
grid of
are
the polyhedron onto the surface of the sphere. derived from the external line midpoints
which have been projected
concentrically onto the theoretical
sphere carrying that internal grid

Dodeca-ico-network
The dome structure consists of two concentric
spherical networks connected by a set of lines
called diagonals. The result is a double layered
spherical network with a three dimensional
carrying behavior Hex-net contains a network of Hex-Tri-net contains a network of hexago
hexagon
THE BOWL NODE
The main design parameters for the connection in the top chord were :
• Rigid Connection for the three tubes with d=193 mm
• Hinged connection for the three diagonal members
• Fast and easy erection
• Minimum tolerances
• No side welding
• Possibility to fasten a rope for mounting the domes on the outside
• Architecturally pleasant

The Top Chord ’Bowl’ Node

•These requirements led to the selection of a "bowl node"

•The bowl node weighs about 80 kg and is constructed of cast iron (GGG40).
•The 1100 nodes have walls that are 40 mm thick and have a diameter of roughly 400 mm .
TOP CHORD BEAMS
•Top chord pipes have a 193.7 mm tube diameter and wall thickness, manufactured using rectangular beam ends,
endplates, and erection holes.
• Connections use high-strength bolts and brash M16, while short brackets support aluminum cushion framing.

Details of the top chord beam and section of bowl node

 BOTTOM CHORD AND DIAGONALS
•The traditional and well-known MERO space frame system is used to create the bottom chord tubes and
diagonals.
•The diameters produced by the stress and stability design were between 76.1 and 168.3 mm.
•The maximum buckling length allowed by the BS Standard was 180.
•According to the MERO technical approval, they are created and produced.
• The connections in the bottom layer are also traditional MERO space frame nodes allowing for quick and
simple structure construction.

The Bottom Chord Node

THE ARCHES
•A triangular truss girder is applied along the domes' intersection, with the largest having a 100-meter span.
•The girders are assembled on-site and welded, and the arches are supported by hinged foundation concrete
blocks.
•A 10mm steel plate is fastened to the 219mm tube, ensuring unaffected flow.

SUPPORTS
•The support system faces challenges due to geometrical uniqueness of 187 points and welded 193mm-
diameter tubes.
• Shear blocks transfer horizontal forces, while anchor bolts secure base plates to the foundation.
TRUSS
•The Hex‐net and tri‐hex‐net of the domes meet the top chord and the bottom chord of the triangular truss
•The trusses transfer the load to their foundation. The domes also partly transfer the load to the strip foundation
along its perimeter.
•The external skin is made of ETFE triple layered pillow filled with air pressure.
•They act as good insulators and optimizes the light penetration.
LOAD PATH
DIAGRAM
CLADDING
•The more than 800 hexagon elements are covered by air-filled cushions.
•These cushions are made of transparent EFTE (Ethyltetrafluorethylene) foil.
•The cushions are attached on an aluminum frame to the top chord beams.
•The results of this study lead to the important parameters for the design of the cushions with spans
up to 11 m. In areas of high show load, like the arches, some additional cables were needed to
support the cushions.
•After the design phase, the size of each of the 800 elements was calculated, cut, and manufactured.

InstallationInstallation Air hock up

ERECTION
•The steel structure was erected in November 1999, with a 858 m long
concrete foundation and 12 m long concrete piles.
•The structure was supported by a massive scaffolding, which holds the
Guinness Book of Records as the world's tallest free-standing structure.
The hexagons were assembled on the ground, and prefabricated arches
were welded together.
•The cladding was completed in September 2000, allowing the Biomes to
be heated and the planting to flourish during winter.
• Erection of the HTBiomes
DOORS AND VENTS
•The tropical climate in the domes was achieved through a special ventilation system, determined by Ove Arup &
Partners, London.
•The domes have 30 openings, with glass lamella windows arranged around the edges.
• Warm air is blown inside using heaters.
•Maintenance and emergency exits are through a link building, and vents have a cat walk for easy access.

Vents and Heating

STRUCTURAL FACT

•Total surface: 39.540 m2

• Total steel weight: 700 tons
• Total length off all beams: 36000 m
•Steel weight per surface less than: 24 kg/m 2 Biggest hexagon area: 80 sq. m at a span of 11 m
•Biggest dome diameter (dome B): 125 m Column free area: 15590 m 2 WTB and 6540 m 2 for HTB