State-of-the-Art Report on Air-Supported Structures

XXYYZZ,; Task Committee on Air Supported Structures of the Committee on Metals, of the Structural Division, ASCE,

State-of-the-Art Report on Air-Supported Structures

by
Task Committee on Air Supported Structures of the Committee on Metals, of the Structural Division, ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, NY
1979, Soft Cover, Pg. 95

Out of Print: Not available at ASCE Bookstore.

Document Type: Book

Abstract:

A structure with a structural system which is dependent on pressurization, either positive or negative, is termed a pressure preloaded structure. Most pressure preloaded structures intended for human occupancy have been built with internal pressures exceeding the atmospheric. Such structures have come to be known as air-structures. The industry term for the most common type, those with the pressurized space occupied, is air-supported. It is with this type that the state-of-the-art report is primarily concerned. The air-supported structures built thus far have comprised single or double-layer membranes which are anchored along their perimeters to the ground or to elevated compression rings. In recent years the number of air-supported structures erected within the United States has increased by approximately ten percent each year. They accommodate agricultural, commercial, industrial, and social functions and are used as temporary enclosures. Low initial cost, compared to conventional construction of like span, and the longer life of modern coated fabrics are among the reasons for the increased popularity of air-supported structures. This report contains current information useful to potential designers of air-supported structures, including data on materials, analytical techniques, and fabrication and erection.

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