Performance and measurement devices for membrane buildings in civil engineering: a review

Huang, H., Li, X., Xue, S., Luo, Y., Shi, D., Hou, X., Liu, Y. and Li, N. (2022) Performance and measurement devices for membrane buildings in civil engineering: a review. Applied Sciences, 12(17), e8648. (doi: 10.3390/app12178648)

Abstract

Lightweight and flexible membranes offer different façades for buildings (suitability, competitive costs, durability, and other benefits) compared to traditional building materials. Increasing attention is being paid to membrane structures in the civil and industrial sectors. Acquiring response data or environmental characteristics directly from a model or building is the most straightforward approach to analyzing the properties of membrane structures, which also contributes to the development of theoretical studies and simulation methods along with the enactment of specifications. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of membrane structure performance, including mechanical, thermal, and energetic aspects, alongside the deployment and deflation of inflatable types. Furthermore, the devices used to monitor the structural response are summarized. The constitution of the structure is the most critical factor affecting its performance. A proper design would offer enhanced mechanical properties and thermal environments with a reduction in energy consumption. Non-contact measurement technology has the advantage of causing no structural disturbance and is low cost, but it lacks practical application in membrane buildings. The achievements and limitations of previous studies are also discussed. Finally, some potential directions for future work are suggested.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC0806100) and the Zhejiang Provincial Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2021C03154).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Li, Dr Ning

Creator Roles

Li, N.: Writing – review and editing

• Authors: Huang, H., Li, X., Xue, S., Luo, Y., Shi, D., Hou, X., Liu, Y., and Li, N.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
• Journal Name: Applied Sciences
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• ISSN (Online): 2076-3417
• Published Online: 29 August 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Applied Sciences 12(17):e8648
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license