Air Inflated Structures

 Supporting frames consist of air under high pressure.

 Internal pressure of building remains at atmospheric pressure.
 There is no restrictions in no. and size of openings.
 They have potential to support an attached structure.
Characteristics
Light Weight
 Weight compared to area is less.
 Low air pressure is required to balance it.
Economy
 Not expensive in case of temporary structures.
Safety
 More safer but proper care should be taken.
 They are fire resistance structures.
Good Natural Light
 If envelope is made up of transparent material good natural
light entre into the structure.
 Around 50% – 80% of sunlight can be obtained.
System components
Envelope
 They can be made up of different materials.
 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.
Pumping Equipment
 It is used to supply and maintain internal pressure
inside the structure.
 Fans, blowers or compressors are used for constant
supply of air.
 The amount of air required depends on the weight
of the material and the wind pressure
Entrance Doors
 Doors can be ordinary doors or airlocks.
 Airlock minimize the chances of having an unevenly
pressurized environment
Foundation
 Pneumatic structures are secured to ground using
heavy weights, ground anchors or attached to a
foundation.
 Weight of the material and the wind loads are used
to determine the most appropriate anchoring
system.
 Load Division
 Wind and Snow loads are the primary loads that are acting on pneumatic structures.

 They are anchored very tight to the ground, so no horizontal forces are exerted to
the envelope.
 Materials
 Envelope Materials
 Anchor Materials

Fiberglass
 They high tensile strength, elastic behavior and durability.
 Coated with Teflon or silicone to increase resistance to
extreme temperatures and UV radiation.

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.
ETFE
 It is very energy efficient because of transparency, insulation and UV resistance.
Nylon
 Vinyl-coated nylon has more strength and durability than polyester.
 They have a higher cost.

Anchor Materials
Steel Cables
 Steel wires are twisted into strands which are then twisted around a core to form the
cable.
Ballasts
 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.
Advantages
 Light weight
 Covers large spans without internal supports
 Rapid assembly and have low initial and operating cost

Disadvantages
 Need for continuous maintenance of excess pressure in the envelope
 Relatively short service life
 Continuous operation of fans to maintain pressure.
 Applications
Civil Engineering:
• There are many implications of inflated strcutures in civil engineering .
• They can be used in places where temporary structures are required or span is
very large.

Property of Prospective Concepts, Switserland.

 Applications
Aeronautics:
There are major applications of inflated structures in aeronatics as they can be made in
versatile shapes to which provide better aerodynamics.
Virtual Case Study (Low Pressure inflatable Hangar)
Installation
Installation
Aero Dynamics
Final Structure
Air Supported, Inflatable Structures:
Alaska Dome: The Alaska dome is one of
the largest inflatable air-supported sports
structure of its kind. Whether its basic
recreation or a next level athletic activity,
Alaska dome is the perfect choice for both
beginners and experts.

Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex: The

Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex is an
inflatable structure with indoor venues for
athletics. The Bennett Indoor Athletic
Complex is a part of Bennett Complex which
features several outdoor facilities.
Air Supported, Inflatable Structures:
Tokyo Dome: Originally named as “The Big Egg”,
the Tokyo Dome construction began on 1985 and
was opened for business in 1988. The roof of the
dome is an inflatable structure made of flexible
membrane that makes it one of its own kind of
stadiums in Asia.

Carrier Dome: The Carrier Dome is the

largest inflatable structure of its kind and
the only dome stadium in Northeast. The
Dome is a 49,262-seats stadium located
on Syracuse University.

Fin.