Wärmetechnische Besonderheiten von Membrankissenkonstruktionen

Thermo-technical characteristics of membrane cushion constructions

Membrane structures are increasingly used in modern architecture as a roof and facade construction. Especially ETFE foils (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene) are suitable as a substitute for glass to span large areas due to their high transparency and low weight.
Particularly in recent times, due to prestigious buildings, such as the Allianz-Arena in Munich (Fig. 1), membranes are increasingly perceived as a separate building material to realize full building facades. Apart from open buildings, such as football stadiums, more and more closed buildings are realized with membrane cushion covers. A well-known example is the so-called "Water Cube" - the National Aquatics Center in Peking, which was built for the 2008 Olympic Games. The increasing market success can be attributed mainly to the novel and visually appealing character and the light weight of such constructions.
In spite of all the benefits that such membrane constructions provides, numerous building physical questions remain still unanswered. Especially for a basic and reliable heat-technical assessment adapted design methods and standards are missing, which take the specific characteristics of membrane structures into account. For required proof tests therefore procedures and standards are used from other construction areas, which are often not suitable or not sufficient for it.