The Development of a Eurocode "Tensile Membrane Structures"

Up to now, no comprehensive design standard for tensile membrane structures exists either on national or European level. Currently, the development for a European design standard for tensile membrane structures made from technical textiles and foils is under way, based on the principles of EN 1990 “Basis of Design”. The work aims to establish a Eurocode “Tensile Membrane Structures”, that covers the design of pneumatically and mechanically prestressed technical textiles and foils. The paper gives background information on the requirements for a new Eurocode, the structure of the current draft standard, the state of the development with regard to the content, and it gives a “road map” to reach the objective: it explains the upcoming steps on European and national levels, points out fundaments still to be established and necessary research work still to be conducted in order to come to a comprehensive and widely accepted design standard.