Case Studies of Irregular Anticlastic Membrane Structures with Asymmetry

Abstract

In previous studies, it was demonstrated that the geometry of regular anticlastic membrane structures attached to edge beams on all four sides of the membrane is one of the most influential factors for the performance of the structure. However, regular anticlastic membranes are not easy to apply at specific design sites. For this reason, a greater degree of irregularity is introduced in this study to create a wider range of design possibilities. From the regular-shaped fabric panels that are symmetric about the two axes, one of the symmetries is removed. In this way, two new parameters are introduced: asymmetry about the transverse axis creating trapezoid-shaped panels, and asymmetry about the longitudinal axis creating inclined panels. These two types of panel parametric studies are the scope of this work. From findings of case studies of irregular anticlastic membrane structures with asymmetry about one or both axes, design aid charts and design equations for trapezoid-shaped and inclined panels are proposed that would be needed at the preliminary design phase.