TensiNewsflash December 2014

The General Assembly will be held at Techtextil on Wednesday 22nd April from 14.00 till 15.30.

The meeting will be held in a hybrid format.

Members who aren't able to come to Frankfurt can join by Teams.

More info will follow soon.

The General Assembly will be held at Techtextil on Wednesday 22nd April from 14.00 till 15.30.

The meeting will be held in a hybrid format.

Members who aren't able to come to Frankfurt can join by Teams.

More info will follow soon.

https://techtextil.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html

International technical composite membrane manufacturing trade fair

The WG Eurocode & specifications organises on regular basis CEN/TC 250/WG 5 meetings. They are currently working on the Execution rules. 

About the programme:

• This is an advanced professional training designed to provide a comprehensive education in membrane lightweight structures to a wide range of professionals — architects, engineers, craftsmen, managers as well as suitable for anyone working in this field.
• The programme is structured to be completed on a part-time basis and attended entirely online — with no travel or visa restrictions.
• We offer LIVE online classes on Fabrication & Construction, Detailing & Patterning, Structural Design, Structural Analysis, Membrane Materials, Sustainability and many more by industry experts and professors from renowned universities across the world.
• Upon successful completion, participants are awarded the title IMS BAUHAUS Degree® Archineer® for Membrane Structures — a protected, internationally registered trademark exclusively licensed by our institute as well as highly acclaimed and recognised within the industry.

Timeline: 24 February – 25 July 2026

Language: English 

Class Schedule: Fridays & Saturdays | 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM CET LIVE via Zoom online

Tuition Fee: EUR 3,200 (total)

Official Structural Analysis Tool Partner: Dlubal Software GmbH

Online LIVE Open House (Q&A Session)

IMS BAUHAUS® Archineer® Institutes e.V.: https://www.ims-institute.org
Course details on website: https://www.ims-institute.org/ims-education/archineer/

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a diverse family of chemicals.

Not all PFAS are the same. Each should be treated differently. PTFE's unique combination of properties sets it apart from other materials and makes it vital to the sectors it serves, especially tensile architecture. Regulation against all PFAS could result in tensioned membrane structures becoming obsolete. 

Members of the Fluoropolymer Product Group (FPG) have provided the industry and its downstream users with robust safety information and best practice guidelines. The comprehensive guide covers essential materials such as PTFE, ETFE, FEP, PFA and PVDF, all of which are widely used in tensile architecture. The FPG and its members are dedicated to ensuring the safe use, sustainable manufacturing and responsible end-of-life solutions of fluoropolymers.

SAVE THE DATE - 05.02.2026

The TensiNet Working Group Sustainability and Comfort and its industrial members will organise a FREE WEBINAR on 5/2/2026 about the PFAS restriction process, fluoropolymers and PFAS, membrane materials and the next SEAC consultation.

PROGRAMME

09.45 – 10.00 Opening

10.00 – 10.05 Welcoming: Chair: Carol Monticelli (Polimi)

10.05 – 10.15 Introduction: TensiNet missions & WG Sustainability & Comfort - Marijke Mollaert (VUB and TensiNet)

10.15 – 10.30 Architectural membranes & Fluoropolymers' use - Farid Sahnoune (Serge Ferrari)

10.30 – 10.45 European PFAS Restriction - Franscisco Hernández (ChemService)

10.45 – 11.05 Fluoropolymers: PFAS of Low Concern - Bruno Ameduri (Centre national de la recherche scientifique)

11.05 – 11.20 Socio-economic consultation - Jaime Sales (ChemService)

11.20 – 11.25 Conclusion - Carol Monticelli (Polimi)

11.20 – 12.00 Q&A - Katja Bernert (Textile Architecture Expert)

12.00 Closure of the meeting

PLEASE REGISTER at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOz7OM7lt_byWSxaAUGvOuLeBkPCOOAFv6RHQVBqYo9SrAjA/viewform

Reference:

https://ptfedf.com/is-ptfe-a-pfas/

https://fluoropolymers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Safe-Handling-Guide-2025-Website-Statement.pdf

https://valve-world.net/not-all-pfas-chemicals-are-the-same-in-fact-most-are-not/

The Advanced Building Skins Conference & Expo has been running for over 20 years and is the premier international event for innovative building envelopes.

Attracting architects, engineers and representatives from the construction industry makes this event the ideal place for productive networking with a wide mix of industry specialists from more than 50 countries across the world.

Besides the excellent networking opportunities you'll also benefit from high-caliber presentations and targeted marketing opportunities through our tailored exhibition and sponsorship program.

R-EVOLUTION OF SHAPES: SUSTAINABILITY, RE-USE, AND NEW DESIGN PARADIGMS

IASS Annual Symposium 2026 – 3rd Italian Workshop on Shell and Spatial Structures

The 2026 symposium intent is to encourage participants to imagine how adaptive reuse breathes new life into old structures, turning historical spaces into contemporary marvels, to stimulate discussions about sustainable practices that ensure our designs to be not only structurally efficient and beautiful, but also environmentally responsible. The organizers’ aim at cutting-edge design paradigms that challenge and expand the boundaries of structural and architectural innovation.

Hosting institution: Politecnico di Torino,Turin, Italy

Please notice that the deadline for abstract submission has been extended. 20th October is the new deadline.

Interested to participate at the TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026? Choose one of the topics and upload your abstract (Text only, 400 Words, 5 Keywords).

Timing: Abstract submission 20.10.2025 I Abstract acceptance 07.11.2025 I Paper submission 15.02.2026 I Paper acceptance or feedback 31.03.2026 I Revised paper submission 30.04.2026

Accepted papers will be published in Open Access for high visibility of your contributions. The symposium papers will be published with 𝗰𝗲/𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. Every paper will have an own DOI.

Please notice also the Young Engineers Awards TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026. We encourage young researchers and practitioners, structural designers and architects, as well as students to participate in the TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026 Young Engineers Awards. The best papers will be published in a peer-reviewed journal! For more information and the terms and conditions, see https://www.uni-due.de/iml/te26-id12.php

Website https://www.uni-due.de/iml/tensinet-ems2026.php, Email tensinet-ems2026@uni-due.de

Please notice that the deadline for abstract submission is approaching.

Interested to participate at the TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026? Choose one of the topics and upload your abstract (Text only, 400 Words, 5 Keywords).

Timing: Abstract submission 30.09.2025 I Abstract acceptance 31.10.2025 I Paper submission 15.02.2026 I Paper acceptance or feedback 31.03.2026 I Revised paper submission 30.04.2026

Accepted papers will be published Open Access for high visibility of your contributions. The symposium papers will be published with 𝗰𝗲/𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. Every paper will have an own DOI.

Please notice also the Young Engineers Awards TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026. We encourage young researchers and practitioners, structural designers and architects, as well as students to participate in the TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026 Young Engineers Awards. The best papers will be published in a peer-reviewed journal! For more information and the terms and conditions, see https://www.uni-due.de/iml/te26-id12.php

Website https://www.uni-due.de/iml/tensinet-ems2026.php, Email tensinet-ems2026@uni-due.de

CEN/TC 250 WG5 Membrane Structures is discussing the content of the Execution Specifications for prEN19102-2 Design of tensioned membrane structures – Execution.

• What concerns the execution specification?
• What should be included in the execution specification document?
  • the design documentation and engineering drawings,
  • proves that the fabric meets the specified engineering requirements,
  • information concerning the cable sizes and pretension requirements, fabric compensation determination, cutting pattern generation,
  • the adequate prestress to be applied ...
• Which clauses should be normative?

We would be glad to consider more voices from manufacturing and installation into this work.

If you are not involved yet, please contact us at info@tensinet.com, to get also your input integrated.

For members (login) link, For non-members link

In this TensiNews issue you will find 2 contributions on recent projects. Josep Llorens prepared a report summarizing all the contributions from history over design and projects to research, products, manufacture and maintenance presented during Textile Roofs 2025.

In a year from now the 8th edition of the TensiNet Symposium 2026 “Shaping the pathway to future tensioned membrane design” will take place in Essen. You find more details in this issue. Please notice also the extended deadline for submitting an abstract.

Enjoy reading.