Safety and serviceability of membrane buildings: A critical review on architectural, material and structural performance

Abstract Architectural membrane (fabrics and foils) buildings have attracted considerable attention due to good material properties, adjustable building performance and reasonable load-carrying ability. Generally, overall performance of membrane structures is a multidisciplinary subject composed of material selection, performance control and sustainability. To determine typical and essential behavior of membrane structures, this paper reviews and compares relevant theories, experiments and simulations on building performance, mechanical properties of membrane materials and structural behavior of membrane buildings. The achievements and gaps of utilizing membrane materials for large-span building structures are summarized and concluded. In addition, recommendations for potential research on membrane buildings are presented for future study.

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