FORM ACTIVE STRUCTURES

NEED OF STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

The simplest way of describing the function of an
architectural structure is to say that it is the part of
a building which resists the loads that are imposed
on it.
The surfaces which form the envelope, that is the
walls, the floors and the roof of the building, are
subjected to various types of loading: external
surfaces are exposed to the climatic loads of snow,
wind and rain; floors are subjected to the
gravitational loads of the occupants and their
effects; and most of the surfaces also have to carry
their own weight.

 All of these loads tend to distort the building

envelope and to cause it to collapse; it is to
prevent this from happening that a structure is
provided.
More precisely, it is the part of a building which
conducts the loads which are imposed on it from
the points where they arise to the ground
underneath the building, where they can
ultimately be resisted.

 Fully form active structures are normally used only in

circumstances where a special structural requirement to
achieve a high degree of structural efficiency exists, either
because the span involved is very large or because a
structure of exceptionally light weight is required.
They have geometries which are more complicated than
post-beam or semi-form-active types and they produce
buildings which have distinctive shapes.

EXAMPLES
Form Active Structures are system of flexible,
non-rigid matter, in which the redirection of
forces is effected by particular form design and
characteristic form stabilization.
Examples:
1.Cable Structure
2.Tent Structures
3.Pneumatic Structures
4.Arch Structures

CABLE STRUCTURES
Form of long-span structure that is subject to tension and uses
suspension cables for support. Highly
efficient, cable structures include the
suspension bridge, the cable-stayed roof, and the bicycle-wheel roof.
A tensile structure is a constructionof elements carrying only tension
and no compressionor bending. Most common type of thin-shell
structures.
Cables can be of mild steel, high strength steel (drawn carbon steel/,
stainless steel, polyesteror aramid fibres. Structural cables are made of
a series of small strands twisted or bound together to form a much
larger cable. steel cables are either spiral strand, where circular rods
are twisted together and glued using a polymer, or locked coil strand,
where individual interlocking steel strands form the cable (often with a
spiral strand core).
Medison Square Garden
NY, US

Advantages
Allowing wide areas to be spanned without the use of internal supports,
giving an open, unobstructed interior.
No bending moment
suited to carrying distributed loads not concentrated loads
Loads applied to surfaces are carried to the ground by the tensile, shear,
compressive forces.

TENT AND MEMBRANE STRUCTURE

A membrane structure pre-stressed by externally applied forces so
that it is held completely taut under all anticipated load
conditions. To avoid extremely high tensile forces, a membrane
structure should have relatively sharp curvatures in opposite
direction
The purpose of a tent structure is to provide a means of shelter
that is lightweight, portable, and quick to install.

LOAD DISTRIBUTION

PNEUMATIC STRUCTURE
Membrane structurethat is stabilised by the pressureof compressed
air.
Air-supported structures are supported by internal air pressure. &
network of cables sti5ens the fabric, and the assembly is supported by
a rigid ring at the edge.
The air pressure within this bubble is increased slightly above normal
atmospheric pressureand maintained by compressors or fans & air
locks are required at entrances to prevent loss of internal air pressure.
Air-supported membranes were first advised by Walter Bird in the late
1940s and were soon put to use as covers for swimming pools,
temporary warehouses, and exhibition buildings.
Air-inflated structures are supported by pressurised air within inflated
buildingelements that are shaped to carry loads in a traditional
manner. pneumatic structures are perhaps the most cost-effective
type of building for very long spans.

A class of membranes that obtain its stability through internal pressurization.

There are two primary classes of pneumatic structure :

1. Air supported structures
Less degree of pressurization to achieve stability
Greater span
2. Air inflated structures
Higher degree of pressurization to achieve stability
Less span

ARCH STRUCTURE
An arch is a curved structure that spans a space and may or may not support weight above
it.
Arch may be synonymous with vault, but a vault may be distinguished as a continuous arch
forming a roof.
Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamianbrick architecture, and
their systematic use started with the ancient Romanswho were the first to apply the
technique to a wide range of structures.The most common true archcon3gurations are the
fixed arch, the two-hinged arch, and the three-hinged arch.
The fixed arch is most often used in reinforced concrete bridge and tunnel construction,
where the spans are short. because it is subject to additional internal stress caused by
thermal expansion and contraction, this type of arch is considered to be statically
indeterminate.
The two-hinged arch is most often used to bridge long spans. This type of arch has pinned
connections at the base. Unlike the fixed arch, the pinned base is able to rotate, allowing the
structure to move freely and compensate for the thermal expansion and contraction caused
by changes in outdoor temperature. However, this can result in additional stresses, so the
two-hinged arch is statically indeterminate.
The three-hinged arch is not only hinged at its base, like the two-hinged arch, but at the
mid-span as well. The additional connection at the mid-span allows the three-hinged arch to
move in two opposite directions and compensate for any expansion and contraction. This
type of arch is thus not subject to additional stress caused by thermal change. The threehinged arch is therefore said to be statically determinate. It is most often used for medium
span structure, such as large building roofs.