Қысыммен қолдауға арналған құрылымдар

Pressurized building size envelope

An air supported (or air inflated) structure is any building that derives its structural integrity from the use of internal pressurized air to inflate a pliable material (i. e. structural fabric) envelope, so that air is the main support of the structure, and where access is via airlocks. The first air supported structure built in history was the radome manufactured at the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in 1948 by Walter Bird. The concept was implemented on a large scale by David H. Geiger with the United States pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan in 1970. It is usually dome shaped, since this shape creates the greatest volume for the least amount of material. To maintain structural integrity, the structure must be pressurized such that the internal pressure equals or exceeds any external pressure being applied to the structure (i. e. wind pressure). The structure does not have to be airtight to retain structural integrity—as long as the pressurization system that supplies internal pressure replaces any air leakage, the structure will remain stable. In practice, any inflated surface involves a double curvature. Therefore, the most common shapes for air supported structures are hemispheres, ovals, and half cylinders.

The main loads acting against the air supported envelope are internal air pressure, wind, or weight from snow build up. The structure is actively supported at all times by blowing in more air, which requires energy. In hot or cold climates, air conditioning adds to the energy requirement. In venues visited by millions of people per year, energy consumption may be a couple GigaJoules per square meter. A common misconception is that these structures are not meant to be permanent facilities, however all major corporations participating in this industry conform to some form of The International Building Codes. To be a permanent facility these domes have to be engineered to the same building codes as a traditional structure. Air supported structures or domes are also commonly known as "bubbles".

The materials used for air supported structures are similar to those used in tensile structures, namely synthetic fabrics such as fibreglass and polyester. In order to prevent deterioration from moisture and ultraviolet radiation, these materials are coated with polymers such as PVC and Teflon. Depending on use and location, the structure may have inner linings made of lighter materials for insulation or acoustics. Materials used in modern air supported structures are usually translucent, therefore the use of lighting system inside the structure is often not required during the daytime.

Blimps, the application of this technique to airships, using the pressure differential between their lifting gas and the outside atmosphere to provide structural integrity. Balloon tanks, the application of this technique to rockets, using tank pressurization for rigidity.