Publicação
The evolution of architectural membranes
| Resumo: | Architectural membranes are the most lightweight constructive solutions available nowadays for spaces closuring. They are mostly used to make roofs and increasingly used in facades. In its origin is one of the oldest materials used by man to build human shelters – natural animal skins - later substituted by textile fabrics using natural fibers from vegetal or animal origin. These primitive membranes are still used to build traditional human shelters, generally associated to nomad cultures, such as the Mongolian Yurt, the Tuareg Tent or the Bedouin Black Tent. During the second half of the XXth century, architectural membranes evolved, mainly driven by the development of polymer composites. With the use of fluorine based polymers they present nowadays a life span that can exceed 25 years and can be opaque or assure different degrees of translucency, but not transparency when structural properties are required. In structural membranes, a textile woven fabric is used on the membrane base structure. The most common architectural membrane is the PVC coated Polyester (PES) fabric. Nonstructural transparent architectural membranes, made of homogeneous polymer foils, are becoming more popular nowadays. If in less demanding uses PVC and PE can assure a transparent closure, in permanent structures, Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) foil can guarantee more interesting properties in terms of durability and stability. |
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| Autores principais: | Mendonça, Paulo |
| Assunto: | Membranes Evolution Lightweight constructions Textile architecture Polymer foils |
| Ano: | 2017 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | outro |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso restrito |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade do Minho |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho |
| Resumo: | Architectural membranes are the most lightweight constructive solutions available nowadays for spaces closuring. They are mostly used to make roofs and increasingly used in facades. In its origin is one of the oldest materials used by man to build human shelters – natural animal skins - later substituted by textile fabrics using natural fibers from vegetal or animal origin. These primitive membranes are still used to build traditional human shelters, generally associated to nomad cultures, such as the Mongolian Yurt, the Tuareg Tent or the Bedouin Black Tent. During the second half of the XXth century, architectural membranes evolved, mainly driven by the development of polymer composites. With the use of fluorine based polymers they present nowadays a life span that can exceed 25 years and can be opaque or assure different degrees of translucency, but not transparency when structural properties are required. In structural membranes, a textile woven fabric is used on the membrane base structure. The most common architectural membrane is the PVC coated Polyester (PES) fabric. Nonstructural transparent architectural membranes, made of homogeneous polymer foils, are becoming more popular nowadays. If in less demanding uses PVC and PE can assure a transparent closure, in permanent structures, Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) foil can guarantee more interesting properties in terms of durability and stability. |
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