CABLE TENSILE

FABRIC STRUCTURE II
By Adrian R. Toisa
 ILO
**Distinguish different types of fabric structures.

**Create architectural design solutions within realistic

constraints such as economic, environmental, cultural,
social, ethical, health and safety and sustainability in
accordance with architectural design studies.

**Develop an understanding regarding the implications

of fabric structures in buildings.
 POINT SUPPORTED STRUCTURE
Point-supported structures are forms with a minimum of four
points of attachment with either straight or curved edges that
produce a clear span with no center mast. An exterior frame,
adjacent building or perimeter masts with or without tie downs
support the fabric. The classic point-supported structure is the
saddle shape or hypar. Point-supported structures can have a
variety of shapes depending on the number of anchor points
and the position of the supporting elements, however, double
curvature is essential. Several point-supported structures can be
combined by sharing a common mast. The membrane can also
be supported from above at specific points by cables or rods
coming off the perimeter masts or higher points on a building.
They can also be designed as repeated modular units and in
combination with mast-supported or arch-supported structures
to create unique and larger spaces.
 POINT SUPPORTED STRUCTURE
HYPAR OR SADDLE SHAPE
The first basic form. It has a double curvature: the hanging curve
can bear the downward load, the downward curve can bear the
upward wind load.

1
3

Fig. 1 & 2 (the saddle shape fixed between boundary parts).

Fig. 3 (open air structure)

2
 POINT SUPPORTED STRUCTURE

HYPAR OR SADDLE SHAPE

The boundaries could be
sloped arches (even forming
a circle in plan view) or
place vertical. 4

5
Fig. 4 & 5 (the saddle shape fixed between arches)
 POINT SUPPORTED STRUCTURE
HYPAR OR SADDLE SHAPE
The double curved
membrane could be
tensioned into a 3D curved
ring or between two parallel
circles (polygons).
7
8

6
Fig. 6,7 & 5 (net-tensioned in a 3D boundary and between 2 parallel circles)
 POINT SUPPORTED STRUCTURE
COMBINING SADDLE
Individual saddle could be placed in a grid, in this case they act
as structurally independent units.

9 10

Fig. 9 & 10 (repetition of identical saddles. Yulara Resort & Olympic Games 2000 in Australia)
POINT SUPPORTED STRUCTURE
OTHER POSSIBILITIES WITH
SADDLE SHAPE
The roof above the architecture
office of Willy Van Der Meeren
built in 1969. Along its
boundary it has several high and
low points

11

12
Fig. 11 & 12 (smooth surface in an irregular boundary)
 POINT SUPPORTED STRUCTURE
13 OTHER POSSIBILITIES WITH
SADDLE SHAPE
The figure shows the structure
built by Tensoforma has 4 high
and 4 low boundary points. It is
a seasonal structure. The
membrane is taken away
14 during the winter.

Fig. 13 & 14 (supporting structure with and without the fabric roof)
 CONICAL SHAPE

15 18
17

16 19

Fig. 15 to 19 (different supports for the conical shape, built structures by Cannobio)
 CONICAL SHAPE
CONICAL SHAPE
Another basic form is the conical shape with an internal point
out of the plane of perimeter support.

This shape has a double curvature.

The horizontal rings bear the load from inside to outside and
radial lines bear the load from outside to inside.

The high point can be supported by inner or outer compression

elements.

Fig. 15 to 19 (different supports for the conical shape, built structures by Cannobio)
 CONICAL SHAPE
CONICAL SHAPE
Frei Otto designed the following foldable umbrella.
20

21

Fig. 20 to 21 (umbrellas for Stiftsruine Bad Hersfeld), Fig. 22 (picture of

Frei Otto)

22
 CONICAL SHAPE
CONICAL SHAPE
Conical shapes are characterized by large radial stresses near
to the center while there is less and less material to withstand
the pretension and to transfer the forces to the supporting
element.
23 Additional compression
elements can be added to solve
the problem. In Diplomatic Club
in Riyadh by Frei Otto.

Fig. 23 (reinforced high point in Diplomatic Club in Riyadh,

Designed by Frei Otto)
 CONICAL SHAPE
COMBINING CONICAL SHAPE

24 25

Fig. 24 to 26 (combining conical shapes)

26
 CONICAL SHAPE
SURFACES WITH CONICAL REGIONS

27 28
Fig. 27 to 28 (alternating high and low points)

Several high and low points could be used in the same roof.
 CONICAL SHAPE
SURFACES WITH CONICAL REGIONS
The canopy built in the Markies building in Brussels is an
example of conical forms jointed together into one structure.
Along its boundary it is fixed with cables to the second floor of
the building. Cables fixed at the sixth floor pull up the high
points. The structure takes full advantages of the heavy
surrounding building.

29 30 31
Fig. 27 to 28 (alternating high and low points)
 CONICAL SHAPE
SURFACES WITH CONICAL REGIONS
The high points of the covering of the stand of Lord's cricket
ground (by Hopkins) are alternately supported by masts and
cables. Transverse pretension is introduced by compression
elements connected to the masts.
32 33

Fig. 32 to 33 (high points supported by mast or cables, the transverse

force is taken initially)
 CONICAL SHAPE
SURFACES WITH CONICAL REGIONS
MAST SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
Mast-supported structures are membranes of one or multiple
peaks supported by interior and perimeter masts or adjacent
buildings. They most resemble a tent in form and use the least
amount of structural material to construct. A bale ring, cable
loop or top plate connects the fabric to the interior masts,
while perimeter masts support the fabric by means of
membrane plates. These perimeter masts are either designed
as moment connections or with tie-downs. Some mast-
supported structures do not have perimeter masts but rely on
outriggers or structural members that cantilever off central
masts, much like an umbrella.

Fig. 27 to 28 (alternating high and low points)

 CONICAL SHAPE
SURFACES WITH CONICAL REGIONS
MAST SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
The peaks of a mast supported structure can vary in shape and
size depending on the overall design, method of attachment
and structure under load. They tend to have round, oval or
elliptical openings which are covered or left open. The
membrane is normally patterned with seams radiating from the
top of the opening. These triangular
34
panels require more complex
patterning, more seams and are less
efficient in the utilization of fabric
which is manufactured in long
rectangular rolls. For small scaled
projects and structures with multiple
Fig. 34 (mast supported structure)
panels, seam orientation can be
redirected to optimize material.
 CONICAL SHAPE
SURFACES WITH CONICAL REGIONS
MAST SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
Most mast-supported structures can rely on the fabric’s
structural characteristic without the need of additional support,
but as these structures get larger, radial cables are required.
In addition, as a precaution, safety cables are installed above
the membrane from mast to mast and to the ground so that in
the event the membrane fails, the mast will stay erected.

Fig. 34 (mast supported structure)

 CONICAL SHAPE
SURFACES WITH CONICAL REGIONS
The following open-air theatre at Bad Hersfeld (by Stromeyer) is
a foldable roof: by means of cables, the corner points and top
points can be pulled to the same position. This technique is still
used for swimming pools and coverings for cultural events.

35 36 37
Fig. 35-37 (foldable roof, tensioned by internal high points)
 ARCH SUPPORTED
ARCH SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
The following basic unit is supported by an arch. The built roof
is constructed for the Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney.

38 39
Fig. 38-39 (membrane tensioned by a compression arch)
 ARCH SUPPORTED
ARCH SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
Arch-supported structures are 40
barrel like in form and avoid the
need for interior supports by
introducing curved compression
members as the main supporting
element. Typical arch-supported
designs include barrel vaults which
have arches parallel to each other
Fig. 40 (sample of arch supported structure)
and fan vaults which have arches
radiating from a central point. For
lateral stability in arch-supported
systems, cross arches or diagonal
bracing are often used.
 ARCH SUPPORTED
ARCH SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
The arch can be a rolled tube of 41
steel or aluminum, a laminated
wood beam or a multi-chord truss,
but it is important that the top have
a smooth surface in order that the
material can slide or move. The
membrane does not necessarily
have to sit on top of the arch for Fig. 41 (sample of arch supported structure)

support either. It can also be

supported by hanging from specific
points on the underside of the
structural member.
 ARCH SUPPORTED
ARCH SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
Frame-supported structures are essentially very large awnings.
The primary structural components carry the majority of
forces within the system, so that the fabric is purely cladding.
Space frames which are lightweight structures constructed
from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern and custom steel
skeleton frames which do not have double curvature are
common examples of frame supported structures where the
fabric is patterned and attached directly to the frame. Frame-
supported structures also are commonly used when high lateral
loads are not desirable, such as in the case of a pre-existing
building or land with poor soil conditions.
 ARCH SUPPORTED
ARCH SUPPORTED STRUCTURES
Also the Diadema for the Expo in Sevilla ‘96 (by IPL) can be
considered to be supported by an arch. Due to the fact that this
is a high structure, special wind tunnel tests have been
performed to be sure to dimension this structure properly.

42 43

Fig. 42-43 (boundary and internal arch)

 ARCH SUPPORTED
ARCH SUPPORTED STRUCTURES 44
In the Milan Fairgrounds cover
the main arch is supported by a
hanging cable. The hanging cable
supports a row of high points in
the Misano cover.

45

Fig. 44-45 (A similar cable supports, a standing arch or high

points with an arched profile)
 References
The Materials Of Tensile Structure
© Architen Landrell Associates Limited, Station Road, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 5PF
www.architen.com

Structure Types - Fabric Architect

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