air-supported structure
Let an agent explain air-supported structures and how they work, relay design, materials and uses from architectural and engineering sources, describe history and notable examples, and distinguish air-supported structures from air-inflated and tensile membrane structures.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What an air-supported structure is.
Definition
Definition and working.
Definition
Definition.
- What is an air-supported structure, and how do pressure, fans and airlocks hold it up? definition
- Is the question about air-supported, air-inflated or tensile structures? boundary
Kinds
Kinds.
Kinds
Kinds.
- What kinds exist, from sports domes and warehouses to stadium roofs and shelters? definition
- Which entry fits the specific kind? action
Engineer Design.
Design
Design and materials.
Design
Design.
- How are air-supported structures designed for pressure, membranes, cables and anchorage? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Operation
Operation.
Operation
Operation.
- How are they operated and maintained, and what happens in snow, wind or power loss? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Examples Examples.
Notable
Notable structures.
Notable
Notable.
- What are notable examples, from the 1970 Osaka Expo US pavilion to stadium domes and modern sports bubbles? provenance
- Which entry fits the specific structure? action
Failures
Failures.
Failures
Failures.
- What collapses and deflations have occurred, and what was learned? provenance
- Which entry fits structural failure? action
Context History and future.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did air-supported structures develop from Lanchester s patent through Bird s radomes to sports domes? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of membrane architecture? action
Future
Future.
Future
Future.
- How are new membranes and hybrid designs changing air-supported structures? provenance
- Which entry fits ETFE? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.BLT
What it is Filled
A building whose envelope is a flexible membrane held up by air pressure slightly above that outside, maintained by fans and entered through airlocks, used for sports halls, tennis and swimming enclosures, warehouses, exhibition halls and temporary shelters, and historically for stadium roofs such as the Pontiac Silverdome; air-supported structures are quick to erect and span large areas at low cost but require continuous pressurisation and are vulnerable to snow, wind and power failure.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain air-supported structures and how they work, relay design, materials and uses from architectural and engineering sources, describe history and notable examples, and distinguish air-supported structures from air-inflated and tensile membrane structures.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Pressurised interior
- Membrane envelope
- Airlocks
- Continuous fans
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Switch off or reduce the fans while people are inside without a safe plan.
- Leave airlock doors open in ways that let the membrane deflate.
- Allow use of the building after membrane damage or loss of backup power.
- Confuse air-supported structures with air-inflated beams in safety advice.
Only with a human decision
- Ordering evacuation or closure of the building.
- Planned deflation for maintenance or storms.
May
- Monitor fan operation, internal pressure and membrane condition of an air-supported building it is authorized to watch.
- Raise an alarm when pressure drops, power fails or snow builds up on the roof.
Moral aspects Filled
- Deflation or snow collapse can trap people inside a sports hall or shelter.
- Temporary shelters made this way often house vulnerable people in emergencies.
Who is affected
- Occupants and users
- Staff
- People in emergency shelters
Owners Filled
Steward
The operator of the building, under local building control.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q6030129 - registry parent class
related
- inflatable building - in registry terms
- membrane structure - in general terms
- Pontiac Silverdome - a stadium roof
- tensile structure - supported by cables and masts
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.air-supported-structure
- Wikidata: Q474568 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q474568)
Direct properties required Filled
- internal overpressure: about 200-300 pascals - typical
- first patent: 1917 year - Lanchester
- largest historical: Pontiac Silverdome example - 1975
Recognition required Filled
- Membrane building held up by internal air pressure
- Sports domes, warehouse domes, historical stadium roofs
- Air-inflated structures use pressurised beams; tensile structures are cable-supported; tents use poles
- A smooth domed or vaulted fabric envelope with airlock doors.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain how they work
- relay design and uses
- describe history and examples
- distinguish related structures
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Deflation from power failure or membrane damage
- Snow load collapse
- Confusing with air-inflated structures
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Building codes and standards such as ASCE 55 for tensile membrane structures
- Fire safety rules for membrane materials
- Snow and wind load requirements
Context of use required Filled
- Enclosing large spaces cheaply and quickly.
- sports and recreation domes
- industrial and storage domes
- exhibition and event structures
- stadium roofs of the 1970s and 1980s
- temporary and emergency shelters
- greenhouse and agricultural domes
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q474568: air-supported structure - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Air-supported structure - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should membrane structure and Pontiac Silverdome be separate entries?
- How should engineering sources be linked?
- How should notable failures be recorded?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q474568/spec.json