Pneumatic Structures
Pneumatic Structures Few forms of architectural structure have excited the imagination to the extent that pneumatic structures have. ... Pneumatic structures are one of the most naturally-occurring structures in existence. In fact, much of what comprises the fabric of our material existence is derived, established and followed on from the physical principles that are found in pneumatic structures. In the research conducted in the Institute for Lightweight Structures in the University of Stuttgart, directed by Frei Otto, one of the bold claims that it produced was The pneu is the essential basis of the world of forms of living nature.2 This idea in itself should offer some indication that pneumatic structures have the potential to be an important system of human made building, as one would be working with nature rather that against it. ... "3 In nature, pneumatic structures can be seen everywhere: The sound bladder of the water frog is filled with air, and when the pressure is released the sound made is used for mating calls (fig. ... Pneumatic Construction is the term used to cover all aspects of control and stabilisation of structures by means of pressure differentials. ... The former deals with structures whose position or movement is controlled by air pressure differentials, such as pneumatic drills, air braking systems, and hovercrafts, and generally isnt applicable to architectural structures directly, or at least hasnt been used yet. Air Stabilised Construction, however, has been the field used for pneumatic structures looked at here. ... Although this principle is simple to understand, it is in fact more complex to anticipate and control the pneumatic behaviour accurately. ... From these principles of stabilised construction, two types of pneumatic structure emerge: Air Inflated Structures and Air Supported Structures. Air Inflated Structures are formed when air is contained within a membrane to form inflated structural elements such as columns, beams, walls, arches, etc. which in themselves resist the external loadings in the same way as more conventional structures are used (fig. ... The larger the volumes and the higher the pressures on the pneumatic structural elements, the more possibilities for larger spans exist, but in turn stronger membrane materials must be used; also, the elasticity of the of the membrane is an important characteristic affecting the structural performance, as the higher the elasticity the more rigid the structural element becomes.