Developing a predictive fabric behaviour model for textiles
Architectural textiles offer a means to reduce energy and material consumption while delivering striking structural engineering solutions.
Project leader
Mr Alex Colman
Professor Peter Gosling
Dr Ben Bridgens
Dates
2010-2013
Project staff
Dr Ben Bridgens
Professor Peter Gosling
Sponsors
Architen Landrell Associates
Buro Happold
EPSRC
Serge Ferrari
Tensys
Description
Architectural textiles are lightweight and translucent to light. They need minimal support and are recyclable. But they also exhibit complex, non-linear, hysteretic behaviour when subjected to load. No British or European codes currently exist for the design of fabric structures.
To characterise a given structural fabric, expensive and time-consuming testing is often required on a project-by-project basis.
The aim of this project was to develop a predictive model that reduced the need for expensive testing. The model predicts fabric behaviour under biaxial and shear loading. It aimed to be 'truly predictive', not requiring calibration against test data.
The project aimed to design and implement new test equipment and protocols. It used capabilities of the predictive model to do this. It providd robust, reliable experimental data.