98

A THEMATIC NETWORK TO UPGRADE THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN EUROPE THROUGH TENSILE STRUCTURES

w w w . t e n s i n e t . c o mI S A E U R O P E A N F U N D E D P R O J E C T I N T H E 5 T H F R A M E W O R K P R O G R A M M E ( G R O W T H )

N E W S L E T T E R N R . 4 - M A R C H 2 0 0 3

info

For thcoming EventsTechtextil 2003 Frankfurt/M (D) Trade Fair08/04/2003 > 10/04/2003 http://www.techtextil.de/Textile Roofs 2003 Berlin (D) Workshop19/06/2003 > 21/06/2003 http://www.textile-roofs.com/TR2003/Structural Membranes 2003 Barcelona (Spain) Conference30/06/2003 > 03/07/2003 http://congress.cimne.upc.es/membranes03/frontal/TensiNet Symposium Brussels (B) Int. symposium19/09/2003 > 20/09/2003 http://www.tensinet.com/symposium_index.phpIFAI EXPO 2003 Las Vegas (USA) Convention01/10/2003 > 03/10/2003 http://www.ifai.com/NewsDetails.php?ID=1639Tall Buildings and Transparency Stuttgart (D) Conference05/10/2003 > 07/10/2003 http://www.ctbuh-stuttgart.de/IASS 2003 Taipei (Taiwan) Conference22/10/2003 > 26/10/2003 http://www.caece.net/iass2003/

Vrije Universiteit Brusselhttp://dtwws1.vub.ac.be/arch/team/mm.htm

partnersBuro Happold Engineerswww.burohappold.com

Canobbio S.p.A.www.canobbio.com

Ceno Tecwww.ceno-tec.de

Club de la Structure Textilesyndicatbaches.free.fr

European Council for ConstructionResearch, Development and Innova-tion www.eccredi.org

Engineering SystemsInternational S.A.www.esi.fr

Newcastle Universitywww.staff.ncl.ac.uk/p.d.goslingInstitut Français du Textileet de l'Habillementwww.ifth.org

Laboratorium Blum

Messe Frankfurt/Techtextilwww.techtextil.de

Michael Hopkins and Partnerswww.hopkins.co.uk

Ove Arup and Partnerswww.arup.com

Universidad Poletécnica deMadrid www.aq.upm.es

SL-Rasch GmbHwww.sl-rasch.de

Taconic Internationalwww.taconic-afd.com

technet GmbHwww.technet-gmbh.com

Technical University of Berlinwww.survey.tu-berlin.de

Tensotech Consultingwww.tensotech.kpnet.com

Tentechwww.tentech.nl

University of Bathwww.bath.ac.uk/departments/arch/csemwebpage/light.htm

University of Nottinghamwww.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe

Michael Hopkins and Partners

TensiNet is assembling a list of universities dealing with Textile Architecture in terms of research and/or education. They will be mentioned one by one in TensiNews.

A C A D E M I C INSTITUTIONSUNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

SCHOOL OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

L I T E R A T U R E

Editorial Board: Marijke Mollaert,Jürgen Haase, John Chilton,Bodo Rasch, Rainer Blum,Michael Barnes, Guy Némoz,Johan Vyncke

Coordination: Marijke Mollaertphone: +32 2 629 28 45marijke.mollaert@vub.ac.be

Contact: Jürgen Haasephone: +32 2 629 36 75jhaase@vub.ac.be

Address: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB),Fac. of Applied Sciences, Dept. of Architecture, Pleinlaan 2,1050 Brussels, fax: +32 2 629 28 41http://dtwws1.vub.ac.be/arch/team/mm.htm

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe/

Dear Reader,

As usual TensiNet describes here the current status of achievements and future plans of the communication platform fortensile structures.

The most effective tool to distribute information is the website and the database. Companies, detailed data on projects andcorresponding literature can be consulted there. Herewith we would like to encourage you to complete the database withextra project descriptions. Send information on your membrane project to jhaase@vub.ac.be. Thank you very much.

Besides TensiNet is strongly involved in events related to membrane structures. On the trade fair ‘Techtextil’ TensiNet is exhibitor and arranges the morning session of the Buildtech symposium. Several partners will give lectures onforthcoming events such as the workshop ‘Textile Roofs’ in Berlin and the conference ‘Structural Membranes’ in Barcelona. Furthermore, TensiNet is the organizer of the international symposium ‘Designing Tensile Architecture’ in Brussels, September 2003. You are warmly invited to participate. More information and the possibility to registrate are available on www.tensinet.com.

Marijke Mollaert

Dr. JohnChilton

This book by Kazuo Ishii features64 built and planned projectsfrom around the world. Its morethan 300 pages are generouslyfilled with hundreds of colourphotos and architectural dra-wings.

The projects include ShanghaiStadium, Osaka Pool, MillenniumDome, Passenger Terminal,Denver International Airport andmany others. Several articles arealso included as well as a DataList by Roof Structures.

An up-to-date assessment of theuse of space grid structures inbuildings by reviewing methodsof construction, various systemsavailable and detailed casestudies. The technical level isaimed at professional andstudent architects and engineersworldwide andalso serves as auseful construc-tion manual.

Werner Sobek's buildings locatedin places like Lima, Chicago,Bangkok and Shanghai, showwhat state-of-the-art engineeringis capable of: structures of fabric,glass, titanium, steel, timbre orconcrete which appear etherealand virtually devoid of mass,pioneer new methods of buildingconstruction and impart astoni-

shing aesthetic qualities to archi-tecture. This book (filled with beautifulphotos and illustrations)introduces the reader to WernerSobek's work and professionalcareer while showing thebuildings which result from aclose cooperation between archi-tects and engineers.

Membrane Designs and Structures in the WorldEditor: Kazuo Ishii Shinkenchiku-sha English / JapaneseISBN 4-7869-0146-6 1999 304 pp

Werner Sobeck Art of Engineering /IngenieurskunstWerner Blaser Birkhäuser English / GermanISBN3-7643-6001-1 1999 192 pp

Space Grid StructuresJohn Chilton Architectural Press

English ISBN0-7506-3275-5 2000

If you would like to recommend o book, just contact Marijke Mollaert or Jürgen Haase

The School of the BuiltEnvironment constitutes theInstitute of Architecture, Instituteof Building Technology and theInstitute of Urban Planning. TheSchool of the Built Environmentis a leading centre for researchand teaching with excellentfacilities and a wide range ofresearch programmes. It is aresearch-led School providing ateaching and learning environ-ment of the highest quality, andattracting the highest qualitystudents. The School has alsobeen extremely successful inattracting significant fundingfrom UK research councils, theEU and industry for conducting

work in the area of renewabletechnology and energy, andsustainable cities.

The School of the BuiltEnvironment has 33 academicstaff, 40 PhD researchers, 14research staff and 15 supportstaff to facilitate the research andteaching. Dr. John Chilton, seniorlecturer at the School, supportsthe education not only withregard to space structures andtextile architecture.

There are approximately 500students studying towardsundergraduate degrees withinthe School. The School alsomaintains close relationshipswith its accrediting professionalbodies, CIBSE, RIBA and theRTPI.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 03/20023

1News

Forthcoming Events

2Building (large) Scale Models

of Tensile StructuresSynthesis of Form,

Structure and Material

4Genova Trade Fair

Pneumatic Hybrid RoofsExpo 2002 Neuchatel

Magdeburg’s Town SquareUnder Textile Roofing

5Marsyas

6BIO-DYNA-SCAPE-2001

7ARIES,

A Demountable Canopy

8Partners of TensiNet

Academic Institutions Literature

3222 3

The Antwerp Design Seminars and Lectures are organized as a one-weekinternational event at the Higher Institute for Architectural Sciences -Henry van de Velde. The ADSL week has a wide-ranging scope fromresearch and problem-solving case studies to practical training ofspecific skills and methods. It is the aim to stimulate cross boundarythinking, and to familiarize students with an interdisciplinaryapproach to design problems.

A group of 15 students did attend the workshop “Building (large) scalemodels of tensile structures” in January 2003.

Tensile elements and membranes behave differently from rigidelements: there is an interaction between forces and geometry, as wellas between construction and detail. Within the domain of tensilestructures (cable nets, membrane roofs...) a lot of research is going on(new materials, modeling techniques, tensioning and erectionmethodologies...). One theme is of less concern than before, although

it is the most necessary source for research: it is the construction andanalysis of (large) scale models.

The participants of this workshop were asked to design a temporaryshelter. The main covering material had to be textile or foil, the innerspace had to be at least 16m2, the height about 3m and it wasrequired that the shelter was dismountable to be set up in a differentlocation. Another general objective was to minimize the overallweight.

It was the intention of this workshop to allow students to explore andclarify the theoretical issues associated with tensile structures, to findcreative possibilities beyond the traditional boundaries and toimprove their ability in the design and the construction of the scalemodel. As an introduction to the topic, soap was used to make 3Dequilibrium surfaces and stretchable textile was used to build small-scale models and to evaluate different solutions.

The relationship between forces and form was already verified whenmaking the small-scale models. Each model was calculated with theform finding software EASY. Internal forces, reaction forces and moreaccurate lengths were derived from the numerical model.

The shopping list was established from the small-scale model andadditional data from the numerical model.

The large-scale models were made of stretchable material [Liebaert]to avoid the necessity to cut the patterns. With the larger models asubstantial improvement and refinement was recognised. Differentproblems like the angles of masts and guy cables, the pin connections,the fixing of the arches or the cutting and the textile boundaries weresolved.

ConclusionThe possibility to work one-week full time on one project made thisworkshop successful. Starting with almost no knowledge abouttechnical textile and tensile structures the architecture studentssucceeded in building a model implementing the basic principles.Some designs satisfied very well the objective of being a shelter; otherswere easily transportable or were mainly lightweight minimal surfaces. The students learned that collaboration is indispensable tomanufacture and complete the target structure in such a short period.Building the large-scale models also clarified the necessity for aholistic approach.

"What is lightweight construc-tion?" One of the many possibledefinitions is "optimizing theloading capacity of the construc-tion without consideration ofadditional loading" or, some-what more theoretically stated,the optimization of the path ofthe forces towards the reductionof the constructed volume.Lightweight construction andform-optimization are thecritical themes in the construc-tion technology of today.

The proposal for the CologneZoo Elephant House is the light-weight membrane constructionof a transparent "roof cloud"over a free plan geometry. Thiswas made possible through theuse of a new form-optimizationmethod for structural calcula-tions (SLang) developed at theInstitute for Structural Mecha-nics at the Bauhaus-UniversitätWeimar and the use of ETFEFluoropolymer sheeting for theroof material.

Primary Structural System:Caterpillar Cocoon and Spatial Framework

Evolution of a Structure andStructural Optimization

The design concept was todevelop a structural systemoptimized as an irregular spatialstructure over a free plan, asymbiosis of an insect cocoonand a spatial framework in theform of a “roof cloud”. Spatialframeworks are systems thatoperate on the arranged inter-action between singular tensionand compression members. Inthis case, the positioning of theelements is a result of thedirection of external forces andthe size of the vector forces inthe elements.The automated development ofan optimized structure, asopposed to conventional designmethods, allows one to dealdirectly with forces as required.The creation of the structuraldesign is thus analogous to the

growth of organic structures onthe grounds of structural-me-chanical regulations. Importantparameters were the minimiza-tion of stress at the middle ofthe fields, and the optimizationof the load bearing elements intheir scale and dimension.

Secondary Structure:Fluoropolymer Sheeting Pillow

As a result of the complex geo-metry and dynamic qualities ofthe roof structure, the roofingmaterial chosen was a triplelaye-red transparent pneumatic membrane construction made of fluoropolymer sheeting [Ethylene-Tetra-Fluoro-Ethylene]. Glass, or other stiff transparentmaterials, could not be usedbecause of the material qualities(limited spanning capabilities,weight, aesthetic qualities).

The pneumatic fluoropolymersheeting pillows are filled withclean, dry air through flexible,sealable tubes that run along the

Prof. M. Mollaert, eng.-arch. N. De Temmerman

Vrije Universiteit Brussel • Department of Architecture

Pleinlaan 2 • B-1050 Brussels • Belgium

+32 (0)2 629 28 45 • +32 (0)2 629 28 41

Marijke.Mollaert@vub.ac.be

Design for a form-optimized lightweight membrane construction Synthesis of Form, Structure and Material

Credits: Professor Dipl.-Ing. Edgar Stach

University of Tennessee / College of Architecture and Design

1715 Volunteer Boulevard - Knoxville, TN 37996, USA - stach@utk.edu

Name of Project: Cologne Elephant House Cologne Zoo

Location Address: Germany

Architect: Prof. Edgar Stach

Structural Consultants: Professor Dr. Bucher, Dr. Dirk Roos

Bauhaus University Weimar, Germany

Ove Arup and Partner, Düsseldorf

Project Team: Stev Bringmann, Josef Knipping

Renderings: Peter Hillerman

Material: ETFE

steel elements. The air pressureof the films is approximately 300Pa. The inflation level of thepillows is computer-controlled,dependent on the external forcesfrom wind and snow. Minordamage to the membrane canbe compensated for through an

alteration in the level ofinflation. The connections tothe steel and glass façade mustbe able to withstand the largedeformations of the roof, andare for this reason planned aspneumatic duct-shapedpillows. The steel and glass

façade itself is self-supportingand not structurally connectedto the roof construction. ConclusionThe combination of a form-optimized structural system withan extremely light and flexiblematerial creates an extremely

low ratio of steel per squaremeter. Naturally, tent or cablesystems are still lighter, yet theconstruction system presentedhere becomes an additionalpossibility in the realm ofoptimized space structuralsystems.

Building (large) Scale Models of Tensile Structures.

Bone Tissue 'Spongiosa'

Konrad Wachsmannn, Prototype Airplane Hangar

'Rigid Space Truss and curtail Space Truss

54

Client: Marina Fiera Di Genova SpA, ItalyArchitect: Arch. Vittorio Grattarola

Prof. Ing. Edo Bozzo Ing. Carlo Spandonari, Italy

Engineer: IF IngenieurgemeinschaftFlächentragwerke, Germany

Contractor: Canobbio SpA, ItalyMaterial Supplier: Verseidag-Indutex GmbH,

Germany

Membrane engineering:

IF Ingenieurgemeinschaft

Flächentragwerke, Germany

Architecture: Multipack

Architekten, Switzerland

Combined statical analysis:

technet GmbH, Germany

Steel fabrication: Zwahlen &

Mayr, Switzerland

Membrane fabrication and

installation: Canobbio, Italy

Material biaxial tests:

Laboratorium Blum, Germany

Placing a large textile cover as a part of the restoration works ofPiazzale Mare represented a fundamental choice to give anarchitectural “lightness” highly visible from the land and from the seabesides letting sunlight (translucency) get inside the pavilion.

The canopy covers an area of about 9000 m2 and its dimensions are124.50m x 73.50m – with a maximum height of 20m.

The membrane is divided into 5 sectors of 20.40m x 72.00m and it ismanufactured with fibreglass fabric, PTFE coated, with the typicalcharacteristics of lifetime and resistance to weathering, as alreadydemonstrated with the tensioned structure called “Grande Bigo”,realised in 1992 in the old port (Porto Antico) in Genoa.

In designing textile covers it is ne-cessary to define in detail not only the final configuration, but also each phase of assembling,lifting, tensioning of every part,maintenance and stress control.

The textile membrane is set into the frame by means of joints that areessential for the resistance of the whole structure. For this projectspecial attention had to be given to tensioning and stabilizing devices,fundamental to guarantee the resistance to the worst weatherconditions.

“Marsyas” is an exceptionallylarge piece of sculpture by theartist Anish Kapoor. It wasinstalled in the “Turbine hall” ofthe Tate Modern Art Gallery inLondon and opened to thepublic in October 2002.

The hall is a vast space 150mlong and over 8 storeys highinside. As the sculpture was tobe large the artist invited Arupto advise him on the structuralviability of his ideas.

The final piece is in essence a1mm thick Type II PVC/PESmembrane surface prestressedbetween a pair of closed steelrings having diameters up to28m and positioned at eitherend of the Hall giving it a clearunsupported span of 135m. Athird horizontal ring hovers2.8m above a mezzanine level.

The development of the parti-cular forms that Kapoor wantedcame from our manipulation ofthe tensile equilibrium of theprestress within the membrane’sskin. At one stage in thedevelopment we were combininganticlastic surfaces with synclas-tic ones which physically wouldhave involved the application ofan internal fluid pressure.

The 135m clear span when com-bined with a particularly shallowdip and the narrowness of thesculpture’s “back-bone” resultedin extremely high membranestresses.

To cope with this as well astrying to limit the potential forwrinkling between adjacentpanels of fabric we incorporated

19.50mm wide polyester web-bing belts within sleeves follo-wing the upper longitudinalseam lines.

These belts also served the veryuseful purpose of supporting themembrane’s weight during siteinstallation.

Membrane prestress ratios varysignificantly throughout thestructure allowing us to createthe rates of change in curvatureand shape desired by the Artist.This is visible in the long

backbone and the steeply curved“funnels” that spill out at eachend of the sculpture.

B + O Hightex fabricated thestructure into a single piece of3500m2 using only two warp-to-warp splice lines in the entirestructure.

The membrane’s prestress forceis resisted by compression forcesrunning through the building’sframework from end to end.

The sculpture is to bedismantled in April 2003 tomake way for the nextcommission by another artist.

Pneumatic Hybrid Roofs Expo 2002 Neuchatel

GENOVA TRADE FAIR Marsyas

Client: Tate Modern

Artist: Anish Kapoor

Engineer: Arup, London

Contractor: B + O Hightex

Patterning: Tensys Limited

Steelwork: SHS Structures

Membrane material: Ferrari

Project data Magdeburg Town Square, Textile

Construction Customer: City of Magdeburg

Membrane Structure: CENO TEC GmbH, Greven

Architecture, execution and steel structure planning: Setzpfand +

Lindschulte GmbH & Co. KG, Magdeburg

Membrane planning: IF Ingenieurgemeinschaft Flächentragwerke, Reichenau

Completion: December 2002

Roofed surface : 863 m2

Membrane surface : 1055 m2

Membrane type: plastic-coated polyester fabric Type IV

with double-sided acrylic final coat (Ferrari(r) Précontraint 1302)

As an upcoming trade show and congress city, the town which isnearly 1200 years old and located on the Elbe river is also interested indocumenting its high cultural and tourist claim visually. Theremodelling of the town square, which at the same time is the stationsquare, is a project in this context. Here, a weather-protected area wasestablished by means of textile roofing, offering an optimum frame-work, not only for temporary events. Also an additional advantage iscreated for the station square since railway passengers can change tobuses or taxi cabs and stay dry: the taxi approach and the path to theCentral Bus Station ZOB are now both roofed. Also the "bike & ride"commuters were included in the considerations - the railway stationbike depot was also roofedA plastic-coated polyester fabric type IV (tensile strength warp/weft -800/700 daN/5 cm) with a double-sided acrylic final coat was

selected for the membrane roof.This material, supplied in the colourlight-grey (RAL 7035), complieswith the regulations of fireprotection class B1 (DIN 4102). Inorder to achieve a particularly lightand friendly illumination of thestructure, the membrane design wascombined with an approx. 40 m2

large skylight arch made of a specialsafety glazing. The supportingstructure consists of two steelpylons (a triangular girder) between which the approx. 17 m longskylight arch (triangular girder with parabolic bent lower boom) isinserted. The membrane is attached to the skylight arch in linear styleand suspended from the supports over a boom edge. The entireskylight arch is roofed with glass. On the station building (at the rearof the square), the membrane is completely clamped over a length of 28m. A parabolic bent double arch with a base width of 7 or

12.6m forms the membrane end towards the taxi stand and theCentral Bus Station. Spiral ropes (diameter 32mm) are used for thecable edges of the structure. Each double arch is back-tensioned bytwo fully interlocked spiral cables (diameter 30mm). A total base areaof 863 m2 is roofed, the membrane surface is 1055 m2. The completetextile roofing was supplied to the site in one piece - it was fully pre-fabricated at the Greven-based CENO TEC GmbH plant.

Magdeburg's Town Square Under Textile Roofing

Once every generation Switzer-land hosts a National Exhibition- the last one being held inLausanne in 1964. The mostrecent Expo took place in theyear 2002. For the first time, theexhibition was not held at a

single venue, but spread out atfour "arteplage" sites. Theexpression "arteplage" combinesthe words "art" and "plage"(French for beach) and refers tothe structures in which theexhibitions are located. The

arteplage on the shore of lakeNeuchatel included several largepneumatic roofs.Each of the cushions had anapprox. diameter of 100m andwere inflated with a basic innerpressure of 0.25 KN/m2.

6 7

Dynascape is a proposal for newsport- and sport-shop-centre inthe Region Rotterdam in theNetherlands. In a parklike envi-ronment between Schiedam andVlaardingen lies this building onthe junction of the A4 freeway,the road between Vlaardingenand Schiedam, the new metroand a new fast tram rack. Thislocation was chosen after astudy in the USA about thelocation of event centres. In theUSA these centres are situated on the junctions of carinfrastructure, good accessiblefrom the city and from theregion. The program of the buildingexists of Run and funmoving(transferring), Run and funshop-ping (consuming) and Run andfunsporting (recreation). In contrast to the closed boxlikeentertainment buildings in theUSA this event centre is an openstructure where the interior andthe people that move through itare visible from the outside. The closed American box isturned inside out.Important in Dynascape is theintegrated design approach.Integrated design is a specificway of thinking, doing anddesigning. Aesthetics and theinnitiation phase become lessimportant than the experienceand demands of the user in theuserphase. The building is designed as a flexible andchangeable structure that willhopefully never reach an endsituation. The construction is an

integrated steel-concretestructure, concrete where mass isneeded, steel where flexibility isneeded. Traditional buildingmethods are replaced byassembling on site, if neededparts of the building can bedemounted and re-used. Parts of Dynascape physicallymove to meet the demands of itsusers. But also to absorbdifferent changes in programand adjust to it. The buildingcan move to react on the

surrounding environment suchas climate changes, but also as areaction to the streams of carsand people that go through thebuilding. And last but not least,the building can react on thechanges in our culture, trends,and the wishes of many peopleto be able to influence theirsurroundings, to be in interestingplaces that make you wonder.Dynascape is shaped like ahuman machine. The buildinghas a skeleton and a skin.

On the inside there are muscles,organs and bloodvessels thatregulate the heating and coolingof the building. The skin of BIO-DYNA-SCAPE-2001 canopen and close in many differentways, it generates energy andprovides the moisture-exchangewith the environment. Because of this movable skin, the positioning of the columnsand the free dividable floorfieldsflexibility is generated. For example the skin of thesportzones on the outsides ofDynascape are made of flexibletextile cushions supported by agridstructure of steel cablesconnected with steel dampers. The basic form of the cushions isa hexagon, the structure of thesteel cables a square. Thisskinstructure is supported bypneumatic cylinders or columnsthat get their energy from theirown fuelcells. By for instancelowering or moving thepneumatic columns the skin willreshape itself. The steel cables,which are three dimensionallywoven through steel castingsthat are separated by dampers,will follow the movement andthe cushions will stretch orshrink a little. Space can becomelarger or smaller or different inshape. Energy consumption, the use of the space and theresponse to the climate can beadjusted at any time, like ahuman body. Dynascape. Principal: MOVEYOU is lookingfor any principal to do a feasiblestudy.

IntroductionARIES is a radical new self-deploying seating canopy fortemporary grandstands, basedon concepts developed at theUniversity of Dundee during thelate 90’s. TCD funding wasawarded in July 2000 for a 2-year programme to developand construct a 13 rowprototype with Arena Seating. The radical aesthetics are largelya function of the cantileveredstructural support system. Whilethe solution to improving opera-tor safety and reducing assemblytimes was to allow the cantilevered roof to be assem-bled at a safe working height.The trusses are assembled abovea fully decked seating platformfrom just four sections. The lightweight sections areeasily handled, clip together andare locked with steel pins, once completed the structure israised clear of the deck with theintegrated winch. In thispartially deployed state themembrane is pulled through,locked off and tensioned. Thetie down cable is then attachedand the canopy is fully raisedand locked off. The tie downcable is then used to posttension the structure. Thecompleted canopy represents ahighly efficient composite post-tensioned tensile structure withan anticlastic (doubly curved)membrane supported by aluminium trusses. The truss isstressed into a curve, defined bythe supporting cables and A-frames. The natural shape ofthe cubic spiral generates aneven stress distribution, whilethe A-frames and cables restrainthe slender chord to resist

buckling and generate a rigidstructure. The simplicity of theform leads to a high level ofvisual impact, adding value andincreasing the desirability of theproduct.Component developmentThe structure has many complexcomponent interactions withfunctions that change during thedeployment process and significantly increases the designrequirements. The componentdevelopment process started bygathering together as manyinitial ideas as possible. This‘brain-storming’ session allowed

a wide range of ideas andoptions to be explored veryrapidly. These ideas werefurther developed as full-scaletimber models, which allowedrapid visualisation of overallform and function. The partscould then be integrated withexisting components and bequickly modified to test newdevelopments. The selected timber prototypewas finally worked up into anaccurate 3D computer model.The computer model allowedfine-tuning of the design andcomplete assemblies were

simulated for fit and collisiondetection. A Finite Elementanalysis of each component wasthen carried out at workingloads before sub-assemblysimulations were taken to theirultimate capacity. Thecomponents were then remodelled to remove stressraisers and the process repeateduntil the capacity of eachcomponent exceeded its defineddesign requirement.ConclusionsThe collaboration on the ARIEScanopy project gave bothparties access to a greaterknowledge base. The Universityprovided expert knowledge inthe design of lightweightstructures together with thefacilities and requirements forresearch and development.While Arena provided expertknowledge on the commercial,practical and logisticalrequirements of both the supplier and end user. The closealliance and full commitment ofall members of the teamallowed the completion of anaccelerated programme and thedevelopment of a high qualityprototype. The developmentstrategy adopted minimisedboth the time scale and capitalcost while generating some veryelegant solutions. The ARIEScanopy was developed for a verymodest investment yetrepresents one of the mostsignificant advances in theevents industry in the last 20years. The expertise gained overthe project has been retainedwith the formation of tensARC aspin-out company aiming todiversify the application of thisand similar technology.

BIO-DYNA-SCAPE-2001A BIOclimatical DYNAmic Sport-shop-transfer building

ARIES, A Demountable Canopy

Projectdata BIO-DYNA-SCAPE-2001

Architect: Jeroen van Nieuwenhuizen from MOVEYOU

Mentor: Peter Trummer (Offshore Architects)

Adviser constructions: Gerald Lindner (By Umbrella)

Adviser climate: Gerrit Kamphuis ( Installect)

Adviser landscape and urban planning:Marieke Timmermans (LA4SALE)

Graduationcommittee: Martin Aarts, Hans Tomassen,

Maarten Struijs, Roemer van Toorn

Visualization: In co-operation with Peter Blok en Dick Floris

Name of the project: ARIES

Location address: Arena House, Membury, Berkshire, UK

Name of the client / building owner: Arena Seating

Year of Construction: 2002

Development team: University of Dundee, Arena seating, tensARC

Supported by: DTI - TCS scheme

Contractor for the membrane structure: Power Plastics

Supplier of the membrane material: Miltons

Material: Ferrari 502

Covered surface: 80m2

WWW.MOVEYOU.NU WWW.TENSARC.CO.UK