Conception and design of membrane structures considering their non-linear behavior

Abstract

The lack of unified verification approaches and standards like the Eurocodes for various materials is a limiting factor to further propagation of architectural membranes. This paper will discuss the possibilities and challenges of integrating the design and verification of membrane structures into the Eurocodes’ philosophy. Therefore an overview of existing guidelines will be given, followed by a discussion of the underlying principles of the Eurocodes. Especially the non-linear behavior of architectural membranes distinguishes them from other structures. Therefore the focus of this contribution is to discuss the implications of this non-linearity on verification approaches. Theoretical considerations as well as in-depth examples help to clarify the necessary basis. Finally the consequences of non-linearity on the verification of the primary structure and hybrid structures are presented.