• IASS 2024 symposium (26-30.08.2024) REDEFINING THE ART OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN – call for abstracts, deadline 31.12.2023

    10 November 2023

    Next summer IASS 2024 REDEFINING THE ART OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN is hosted by the National Centre of Competence in Research Digital Fabrication (NCCR DFAB) at the Institute of Technology in Architecture (ITA) of ETH Zurich. The NCCR DFAB is Switzerland’s initiative to lead the development and integration of digital technologies within the fields of architecture and construction.

    The conference chairs are Philippe BlockJacqueline PauliCatherine De Wolf and Walter Kaufmann. The Block Research Group at ETH Zurich recently became a university member of TensiNet. In the video you can get to know the chairs and get an impression of the beautiful city of Zurich in Switzerland. IASS has several Working Groups of which WG6 “Tension and Membrane Structures” is chaired by Ken'ichi Kawaguchi and Marijke Mollaert.

    We encourage you to write an abstract about an interesting project, research or new product. Abstracts must be submitted online by 23:59 (CEST), Sunday 31.12.2023. See link for more detailed information.

    more

  • PFAS Restriction Proposal - Comments by the TensiNet Association for the Annex XV restriction report

    20 October 2023

    TensiNet's response to the PFAS restriction proposal is available. Link (login)

    If someone receives any information on how the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is analysing/evaluating the situation for PVDF-top-coated PVC-coated polyester membranes, PTFE-coated glass fabrics or ETFE-foils, the WG Sustainability and Comfort would be happy to be informed: carol.monticelli@polimi.it or marijke.mollaert@vub.be.

    more

  • Podcasts Lightweight & durable

    27 September 2023

    logo podcast

    Podcasts by Serge Ferrari Group + TensiNet

    In these podcasts, you'll discover the benefits of tensile architecture, and in particular how tensile structures help to reduce the carbon footprint of construction. Our experts, world-renowned for their expertise in this field, share their thoughts on this fascinating subject. The 4 podcasts were recorded during the symposium TENSINANTES2023 at Nantes Université on Thursday 8th June 2023.

     

    Carbon Footprint: How lightness could be an advantage in the construction sector compared to other traditional material? Link
    Speakers: Bruce Danziger & Zehra Eryuruk
    Next Generation building through Tensile Architecture. Link
    Speaker: Nitin Govila
    Sustainability and comfort: How does membrane architecture fits today’s challenges in the built environment? Link
    Speakers: Ramon Sastre & Carol Monticelli
    Tensioned membrane structures:  The seventh building material for great construction. Link
    Speakers: Bernd Stimpfle & Peter Gosling

    more

  • TensiNews issue 45

    27 September 2023

    Enjoy the latest TensiNews 45

    TensiNews - Newsletter Nr. 45 - OCTOBER 2023 - Price 15€ (port incl.)

    For non TensiNet members - link

    For TensiNet members (login) - link

    more

  • ANNEX 5 on design recommendations for ETFE structures - digital available for free

    22 June 2023

     

    As TensiNet member: Please find the link to the digital copy of the ANNEX 5 on design recommendations for ETFE foil structures. Do not forget to login first.

    It is still possible to order a hard copy (50€ for non TensiNet member; 25€ for TensiNet member)

    annex 5 design recommendations for ETFE foil structures 1

    more

  • TENSINANTES2023 - discover the content.

    5 June 2023

    This Wednesday starts the TensiNet symposium at Nantes Université!

    The papers of the presentations were collected in a digital proceeding.

    Enjoy your reading E-book of the proceedings

     

    more

  • TENSINANTES2023 from 7 till 9 June - Flyer

    4 May 2023

    Within a month, we will meet at Nantes Université.

    Here is the flyer. Please disseminate TENSINANTES2023 to your colleagues and friends!

    more

  • TENSINANTES2023 from 7 till 9 June - 3 days programme

    4 May 2023

    PROGRAMME

    The three-day symposium is organised around 3 main topics including 5 keynote lectures & 47 lectures in plenary and parallel sessions.

    The film “L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped” backstage-engineeringfor a work of artby büro für leichtbau, Tritthardt+Richter will be shown.

    WEDNESDAY 7TH JUNE THURSDAY 8TH JUNE FRIDAY 9TH JUNE
    08.30-09.15 Registration 08.15-09.30 General Assembly TensiNet
    09.15-09.30 Welcome & Introduction

    09.00-10.00 Keynote lecture

    The Pathways to Zero Carbon for Tensioned Membrane Architecture: ongoing actions and next steps

    Bruce Danziger and Carol Monticelliwith Beatriz Ferreyra Vargas and Nathaly Michelle Rodriguez Torres

    09.30-10.30 Keynote lecture

    Milestones of ETFE construction methods and starting points for further developments in membranes structures

    Karsten Moritz and Jean-Christophe Thomas

    09.30-10.30 Keynote lecture

    Bouncing Bridge: ephemeral, autonomous and self-supporting pneumatic temporary structure

    Grégoire Zündel and Ramon Sastre

    10.30-10.50 Coffee break 10.00-10.20 Coffee break 10.30-10.50 Coffee break

    10.50-12.55 Plenary session topic 1

    Advanced tools for futuristic skins – ETFE

    Massimo Maffeis, Antonio Diaferia, Nicola Todesco

    Modeling of impacts on tensile structures

    Adam Bown, Adrian Cabello, Artem Holstoi

    Porto Pi shopping center's floating pergolas

    Juan García-Lastra Zorrilla, Juan Rey-Rey, Alejandro Minguez

    PumpItUp, gite mobile for the European cultural capital Esch-sur-Alzette 2022

    Bernd Stimpfle

    The integration of CAD and FEA for lightweight design and analysis

    Ann-Kathrin Goldbach, Kai-Uwe Bletzinger

    10.20-12.25 Plenary session topic 3

    Lightweight ideas for a built environment beyond concrete

    Katja Bernert

    How lightweight architecture contribute to sustainability & decarbonization strategy?

    Thomas Bonneville

    6dTEX - Sustainable Composite Structures from 3D Print on 3D Textile

    Claudia Lueling, Sascha Biehl, Roxana Tennert, Gözdem Dittel, Marina Chernychova, Thomas Gries

    Architecture for pigs

    Maxime Durka

    An innovative solar shading device for outdoor thermal comfort

    Adriana Angelotti, Alara Kutlu, Salvatore Viscuso, Andrea Alongi, Alessandra Zanelli

    10.50-12.55 Plenary session topic 2

    Design and execution of membrane structures acc. to CEN/TS 19102

    Jörg Uhlemann, Bernd Stimpfle, Natalie Stranghöner

    Determination of ULS values of ETFE membrane structures acc. to Eurocode using tensile strength measurements in quality control of production

    Torsten Balster, Carl Maywald, Lazarev Delche

    On the design of membrane structures with the partial safety factor concept – a parameter study on the influence of structural and probabilistic properties

    Martin Fueder, Max Teichgraber, Daniel Staub, Kai-Uwe Bletzinger

    Characterization of polyethylene structure membrane

    Sherryl Patton

    Practical application of a stress-ratio dependent adaptive material model in the structural analysis of textile structures

    Jörg Uhlemann, Mehran Motevalli, Natalie Stranghöner, Daniel Balzan

     

    13.00-14.00 Lunch break 12.30-13.30 Lunch break 13.00-14.00 Lunch break

    14.00-16.05 Parallel session A

    topic 3

    Integrating sustainability aspects in the teaching of lightweight structures and their comparison with common structures

    Heidrun Bögner-Balz, Sarah Von Der Weth, Karsten Moritz

    The environmental performance of membrane structures

    Zehra Eryuruk, Marijke Mollaert

    A comparative LCA between a Textile Façade Retrofit and conventional solutions

    Giulia Procaccini, Carol Monticelli

    ATLAS architectural membrane as a core element for larger and energy efficient air domes

    Alexandra Sonnenberg

    T-shade: experimental case study conducted to reuse t-shirts as a tensile-shading system

    Amirhossein Ahmadnia, Gergely Mátyás Jelinek Jelinek, Aina Radovan, Salvatore Viscuso, Alessandra Zanelli

     

    13.30-15.35 Parallel session A

    topic 2

    Living in the 7th element: Hans-Walter Müller's pneumatics

    Katja Bernert

    Finite element modelling of inflatable beams up to the ultimate stability phase

    Laurent Gornet, Jean-Christophe Thomas

    Analytical, numerical and experimental study of inflatable panels

    Paul Lacorre, Anh Le van, Rabah Bouzidi, Jean-Christophe Thomas

    The calculation of large cable reinforced gas storage systems

    Jürgen Holl

    Textile covers of biogas storage tanks - Interaction between Membrane behavior and Operation of the Gas Membrane

    Rosemarie Wagner, Kai Heinlein

    14.00-15.40 Parallel session A

    topic 3

    Suntex: weaving solar energy into building skin

    Rogier Houtman, Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed, Pauline van Dongen, Mariana Popescu

    Integration of the Fog water harvesting system in lightweight structure design for emergency camps

    Maria Giovanna Di Bitonto, Nathaly Michelle Rodriguez Torres, Alara Kutlu, Nicolò Elio Giorgietti, Alessandra Zanelli

    Challenges of measuring sound absorption of ETFE membranes in a laboratory

    Yannick Sluyts, Monika Rychtarikova, Christ Glorieux

    Greentexx: Advanced tensile architectural membranes for active and passive cooling of the outdoor & indoor environments via vertical gardens

    Benny Picke

    14.00-16.05 Parallel session B

    topic 2

    Computational design workflow for a complex cable network

    Jef Rombouts, Oriane Guidet, Ludovic Regnault, Klaas De Rycke

    Development and validation of an experimental methodology for the characterization and FEM analysis of fibre-reinforced architectural meshes

    Salvatore Viscuso, Carol Monticelli, Alessandra Zanelli, Alberto Fiorenzi

    Parametric workflow approach in membrane design, from details to construction

    Rémi Journo

    Simulation of functionally graded CNC-knitted membranes

    Yuliya Sinke, Martin Tamke, Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen

    Testing Parameters for uniaxial short-term tensile tests of ETFE foils and their connections

    Dominik Runge, jörg Uhlemann, Natalie Stranghöner

     

    13.30-15.35 Parallel session B

    topic 1

    Affine minimal surfaces: an intuitive family of shapes for tensile architecture

    Cyril Douthe, Rémi Belloc, Ken'ichi Kawaguchi

    Value enhancement of the roof of the CC Le Polygone Montpellier

    Fabián Ascaso, Beatriz Arnaiz, Ramon Julián, Feike Reitsma

    Optimisation of tensegrity systems with tensioned fabrics

    Fevzi Dansik, Meltem Sahin, Caglar Samat

    Retractable membrane roofs as urban shading device

    Liu Dongyuan, Gregor Grünkorna, Julian Lienhard, Ata Chokhachian, Thomas Auer

    Use of Parametric Design in Design to Production Process of a Membrane Facade

    Milan Dragoljevic, Roberto Canobbio

    14.00-15.40 Parallel session B

    topic 1

    Corolla, the soft-robotic coworking pod

    Paolo Beccarelli, Ofir Albag, Martin Huba, Roberto Maffei

    The Wave Pavilion from 2014 to 2023: origins, realization and reuse

    Mathieu Lemunier

    TensyDome: A pavilion combining tensegrity ring and tensile architecture

    Nicolas Pauli

    Beyond bending: tension. Membrane structures 1

    Josep Ignasi de Llorens Duran

    16.05-16.25 Coffee break 15.35-16.00 Coffee break 15.40-16.00 Outlooks & Thanks

    16.25-17.15 Parallel session A

    topic 1

    Swatch Omega Headquaters - Multifunctional ETFE-modules in the building envelope

    Karsten MORITZ, Koffi Alate

    Temporary structure Grand Palais Éphémère

    Patrick Vaillant, Beatriz Arnaiz, Feike Reitsma

     

    16.00-17.00 Keynote lecture

    Textile Architecture with or versus today challenges in built environment

    Rosemarie Wagner

    16.00-17.30 Working Group Sustainability & Comfort Meeting with invited guest Bruce Danziger

    16.25-17.15 Parallel session B

    topic 3

    Comparison of PE coated PE weave to PVC coated PES weave
    Rogier Houtman

    Advancing the Design of Sustainable ETFE Membrane Structures: Insights from the Lighten Consortium Project

    Mohammad Hosein Nejabatmeimandi, Alessandro Comitti, Luis Seixas, Adrian Cabello, Adam Bown

     

    17.15-18.15 Keynote lecture

    Architecture in motion

    Louis Ratajczak

     

    17.00-19.00 Walk the green line. Guided walk to the venue of the Gallerie des Machines

    19.00-23.00 Conference dinner at Gallerie des Machines

    18.15-20.00  cocktail drink

    .

    more

  • Programme of TENSINANTES2023 is available!

    30 March 2023

    We invite you all to come to Nantes Université and participate in the symposium Membrane architecture: the seventh established building material. Designing reliable and sustainable structures for the urban environment! All keynote lectures are confirmed. The lectures will be listed in detail soon (title of paper and author(s)).

    WEDNESDAY 7TH JUNE THURSDAY 8TH JUNE FRIDAY 9TH JUNE

    08.30-09.15 Registration

    09.15-09.30 Welcome & Introduction

      08.30-10.00 General Assembly TensiNet association
    09.30-10.30  Keynote lecture Bouncing Bridge: ephemeral, autonomous and self-supporting pneumatic temporary structure     Grégoire Zündel and Ramon Sastre 09.00-10.00 Keynote lecture The Pathways to Zero Carbon for Tensioned Membrane Architecture: ongoing actions and next steps Bruce Danziger and Carol Monticelli 10.00-11.00 Keynote lecture Milestones of ETFE construction methods and starting points for further developments Karsten Moritz and Jean-Christophe Thomas
    10.30-10.50     Coffee break 10.00-10.20   Coffee break 11.00-11.20    Coffee break
    10.50-12.55 Lectures 10.20-12.25 Lectures 11.20-13.00 Lectures
    13.00-14.00     Lunch break 12.30-13.30    Lunch break 13.00-14.00    Lunch break
    14.00-16.05 Lectures 13.30-15.35 Lectures 14.00-15.40 Lectures
    16.05-16.25     Coffee break 15.40-16.00   Coffee break 15.40-16.00 Outlooks & Thanks

    16.25-17.05 Lectures

    16.00-17.00 Keynote lecture Textile Architecture with or versus today challenges in built environment Rosemarie Wagner 16.00-17.30 Working Group Sustainability & Comfort Meeting with invited guest Bruce Danziger
    17.05-18.05  Keynote lecture Architecture in motion               Louis Ratajczak

    17.00-19.00     Walk the green line. Guided walkto the venue of the Gallerie des Machines

    19.00-23.00 Conference dinner at Gallerie des Machines

    18.05-20.00  Cocktail drink

    more

  • Prospect for European Guidance for the Structural design of Tensile Membrane Structures is online!

    22 March 2023

    JRC132615 cover

    The new report is online! Within CEN/TC 250/WG 5, CEN/TC 248/WG 4, the TensiNet Association and COST Action TU1303, an international team of researchers, engineers, architects, material producers and manufacturers has been working on this report. The final aim is to develop a Eurocode for the Structural Design of Tensile Membrane Structures, which will help to design and implement these lightweight structures. The report consists of three major parts: 1) general explanations giving scientific and technical background for the design of membrane structures, 2) state-of-the-art overview on existing national and European rules and recommendations on the design of membrane structures, and 3) proposals for European harmonized design rules, which could be part of the future Eurocode for Tensile Membrane Structures.

    more