The design and construction of fabric structures

In its short history, fabric structures have fascinated architects and engineers alike. Architects appreciate their unusual shapes and forms while engineers delight in their "pure" structural expression. Capable of spanning large distances while incurring very little weight on supporting structure, developments in the design of fabric structure can dramatically change the ways in which permanent building construction is conceptualized. This thesis reviews the most current methods for design and construction of fabric structures and focuses on how they can be improved for common application as permanent structures. In doing so, it begins with a brief history and explanation of the various types of fabric structure that have previously been built. Subsequent chapters address different limiting factors, including the development of fabric materials, computational analysis methods, and innovative construction techniques. Finally, a case study of the new Landside Airport Terminal project in Denver, Colorado is presented to illustrate a direct application of design and construction methods. Though fabric structures have come a long way since the first modern cable-net was built fifty years ago, there are still several challenges to be overcome before fabric can be considered a viable option for the majority of new building projects.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Fang, Rosemarie

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jerome J. Connor.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/51577

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/51577