Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics

The wide use of tensioned membrane structures (TMS) becomes prominent in many designs because of its aesthetic, ergonomic, and economical nature. Recently, TMS has been applied in the tropics with success, yet defects specific to this region have received little attention. Through a questionnaire su...

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Main Authors: Wang, C., Abdul-Rahman, H., Wood, Lincoln, Mohd-Rahim, F., Zainon, N., Saputri, E.
Format: Journal Article
Published: American Society of Civil Engineers 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/9775
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author Wang, C.
Abdul-Rahman, H.
Wood, Lincoln
Mohd-Rahim, F.
Zainon, N.
Saputri, E.
author_facet Wang, C.
Abdul-Rahman, H.
Wood, Lincoln
Mohd-Rahim, F.
Zainon, N.
Saputri, E.
author_sort Wang, C.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The wide use of tensioned membrane structures (TMS) becomes prominent in many designs because of its aesthetic, ergonomic, and economical nature. Recently, TMS has been applied in the tropics with success, yet defects specific to this region have received little attention. Through a questionnaire survey of 890 uses and technicians of TMS in three different areas in Malaysia, this study identified the most frequently occurring TMS defects in the tropics, such as "deterioration of roof coatings", "corrosion or fatigue in fixings", "fungal decay, mould growth, and dirt in membrane", "corrosion in anchor cables", and "degradation of fabrics". These defects are quite different from those in other climatic zones. The top five causes of TMS defects in the tropics are weather, aging, design, construction/installation, and material selection. However, only "corrosion or fatigue in fixings" is a significant predictor for "deterioration of roof coatings". While this is not a causal effect, a practical implication is that TMS maintenance workers do not have to climb up to the roof to check the deterioration in coating but only need to predict the deterioration through the corrosion levels of the fixings. Further, seven countermeasures for TMS in tropic are recommended. This study is the first comprehensive study examining tensioned membrane structure defects in the tropics.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-97752017-09-13T14:52:45Z Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics Wang, C. Abdul-Rahman, H. Wood, Lincoln Mohd-Rahim, F. Zainon, N. Saputri, E. tensioned membrane structure membrane structure - deterioration of roof coatings tensioned structure defects in TMS The wide use of tensioned membrane structures (TMS) becomes prominent in many designs because of its aesthetic, ergonomic, and economical nature. Recently, TMS has been applied in the tropics with success, yet defects specific to this region have received little attention. Through a questionnaire survey of 890 uses and technicians of TMS in three different areas in Malaysia, this study identified the most frequently occurring TMS defects in the tropics, such as "deterioration of roof coatings", "corrosion or fatigue in fixings", "fungal decay, mould growth, and dirt in membrane", "corrosion in anchor cables", and "degradation of fabrics". These defects are quite different from those in other climatic zones. The top five causes of TMS defects in the tropics are weather, aging, design, construction/installation, and material selection. However, only "corrosion or fatigue in fixings" is a significant predictor for "deterioration of roof coatings". While this is not a causal effect, a practical implication is that TMS maintenance workers do not have to climb up to the roof to check the deterioration in coating but only need to predict the deterioration through the corrosion levels of the fixings. Further, seven countermeasures for TMS in tropic are recommended. This study is the first comprehensive study examining tensioned membrane structure defects in the tropics. 2015 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/9775 10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000530 American Society of Civil Engineers fulltext
spellingShingle tensioned membrane structure
membrane structure
- deterioration of roof coatings
tensioned structure
defects in TMS
Wang, C.
Abdul-Rahman, H.
Wood, Lincoln
Mohd-Rahim, F.
Zainon, N.
Saputri, E.
Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics
title Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics
title_full Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics
title_fullStr Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics
title_full_unstemmed Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics
title_short Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics
title_sort defects of tensioned membrane structures (tms) in tropics
topic tensioned membrane structure
membrane structure
- deterioration of roof coatings
tensioned structure
defects in TMS
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/9775