Brief introduction to the types of architectural membrane structures

Structural type
The main components of structural membrane structures are membrane materials, steel structures and steel cables. Different membrane materials and steel cables have different performances and prices. Structural shapes can be divided into the following two categories:
1. Skeleton membrane structure: This type of membrane structure is fixed on delicate steel, space trusses or other solid frames, which is called skeleton membrane structure.
2. Tension membrane structure: This type of membrane structure is constructed by using only a simple support system and the tension characteristics of the membrane material itself. Unlike traditional structures, membrane structures use flexible membranes and cables as the main load-bearing materials. To carry out engineering design of membrane structures, it is necessary to understand their materials. The membrane materials used in construction projects can be divided into two categories: fabric membrane materials and non-fabric membrane materials. Among them, the commonly used fabric membrane materials are PVDF coating covered polyester fiber fabric (hereinafter referred to as PVC membrane material) and PTFE coating covered glass fiber fabric (hereinafter referred to as PTFE membrane material); non-fabric membrane materials are most representative and competitive with ETFE film. The choice of membrane material often depends to a large extent on the function, fire protection requirements, design life and investment amount of the building.
Inflatable membrane structure
The scientific name of inflatable membrane structure is air-supported membrane structure. It uses special architectural membrane material (PVDF membrane material) as the building shell, equipped with a set of intelligent electromechanical equipment to provide air pressure inside the completely enclosed air membrane building, so that the interior of the entire building always maintains positive pressure to the external environment. It is a kind of building structure system that supports the main body of the building by the pressure difference between the inside and the outside. It is used in industrial plants, logistics warehouses, sports and entertainment, military facilities and other fields. It has the characteristics of large space, strong building flexibility, short installation period, low construction cost and maintenance cost, low energy consumption, environmental protection, super durability and weather resistance, light weight, etc., and its service life can reach more than 35 years.