Beyond material deterioration: form alteration of weathered tension fabric structures

Abstract

Conventional weathering studies on architectural fabrics mainly address material deterioration. However, tension fabric structures (TFS) derive their load‐carrying capacity not only from material strength but also from prestressed double‐curved geometries. Previous research normally assumes that the geometry defined during the form finding step of design remains unchanged over time. This study challenges this assumption by examining how weathering affects the form‐found geometry, i.e., the double curvatures and the prestress values and their distribution. Changes in the mechanical properties of two common types of architectural fabrics, polyvinyl chloride coated woven polyethylene terephthalate (PET‐PVC) and polytetrafluoroethylene coated woven glass fiber (glass‐PTFE) subjected to various artificial weathering durations were investigated. The resulting mechanical property degradation were then integrated with the form‐finding results of a typical form of TFS, saddle‐shaped, computed via the Update Reference Strategy method. This study evaluates how weathering alters the designed form, providing a deeper understanding of the long‐term performance of TFS.