membrane structure

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Denver International Airport (DIA), designed by Fentress Bradburn Architects of Denver, canopy designed by Leo A. Daly.

membrane structure

architecture and building construction

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Related Topics:: construction; building; pneumatic structure

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membrane structure, Structure with a thin, flexible surface (membrane) that carries loads primarily through tensile stresses. There are two main types: tent structures and pneumatic structures. The Denver International Airport (1995) features a terminal building roofed by a white membrane stretched from steel masts. Another such structure is London’s The O2 (formerly Millennium Dome), which has a tensioned membrane structure with a diameter of 320 metres (1,050 feet), one of the largest in the world.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.

tensile strength

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tensile strength

physics

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Last Updated: Jun 5, 2025 • Article History

Related Topics:: strength of materials; bending test; yield strength

On the Web:: University of Babylon - Tensile Test - Introduction (PDF) (June 05, 2025)

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tensile strength, maximum load that a material can support without fracture when being stretched, divided by the original cross-sectional area of the material. Tensile strengths have dimensions of force per unit area and in the English system of measurement are commonly expressed in units of pounds per square inch, often abbreviated to psi. When stresses less than the tensile strength are removed, a material returns either completely or partially to its original shape and size. As the stress reaches the value of the tensile strength, however, a material, if ductile, that has already begun to flow plastically rapidly forms a constricted region called a neck, where it then fractures.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.