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TensiNews - Newsletter Nr. 34 - APRIL 2018 -  Price 15€ (port incl)

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Save the date: June 3-5, 2019, Milan, Italy

The 6^th International TensiNet Symposium “Softening the Habitats: Sustainable Innovations in Minimal Mass Structures and Lightweight Architectures” will take place from the 3^th to the 5^th of June 2019 at Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi), in Milan, Italy. The 2019 TensiNet Symposium (TS19) is organized and hosted by the TensiNet Association and in particular by PoliMi and Textile Hub, which is an interdepartmental research laboratory on textiles and polymers based in PoliMi.

The 2019 TensiNet edition will open a twofold reflection – by means of both a conference and an exhibition– on current innovations, trends and strategies in the field of lightweight membrane structures and mainly on the future of those technologies, on which the TensiNet Association’s interest is focused: tensile and pneumatic structures, textile architecture, membranes and foils, ultra-lightweight constructions and structural skins.

Indeed, lightweight structures have been regularly applied in the field of human construction, and have been so for more than ten thousand years. Since the first pioneering innovations of Frei Otto and Buckminster Fuller, the membrane structures have recently seen a considerable expansion due to the promising prospects that they offer, accounting for a larger proportion of the overall volume of buildings. The last few decades have brought numerous significant innovations in terms of materials, design and computation tools, as well as construction detailing and installation methodology. As a consequence of such innovative applications, membrane construction now has an established place in the field of Architecture. It is increasingly pivotal by now an analysis on the existing state of the art and a prefiguration of the scenarios concerning the textile architecture. Can we expect any major innovations in this area? What part of our imagination still remains to be explored today? Will current technical advancements in materials production lead to lighter and more efficient structures and to greater environmentally sustainable enclosures? What is the biggest challenge of the next few decades in the field of tent construction? Can we envision a future where unknown durable and recyclable materials will contribute to decrease the current conflicts between society and nature?

The main theme proposed for the next 2019 symposium edition – Softening the Habitats – entails to investigating constraints but also opportunities of textile architecture for dealing with a near softer future in building architecture.

Three mornings of inspiring keynote lectures plus a number of plenary sessions, followed by just as afternoons of parallel sessions will create a very special event where experts in the areas of membrane architecture and engineering, as well as researchers and industry representatives are invited to contribute to constructive debates on soft structures, softening the environment and soft skins.

Thus, on one side, the conference will focus on how building technologies on membranes are being more and more directed towards achieving a smaller environmental footprint and obtaining more resilient cities and landscapes. On the other side, the exhibit will start one week prior to the conference and it will show an exhaustive picture of responsibilities at various levels – academia, industries, practitioners, construction sector and standards – acting on tensile, membrane and foil constructions in Europe and worldwide. The aim of the exposition is first and foremost to support the role of the TensiNet Association as a disseminator of information at the regional level and amplifying it to the global scale, and vice-versa. Eventually, a deeper understanding of the latest, most emblematic tensile constructions and of the different team collaborations on these specific projects will provide an unprecedented mapping of information and material flows. In this way, the exhibit will be promoting knowledge on recent innovations related to the environmental mitigation and adaptation towards more sustainable materials in textile architecture.

To cope with the complexity of the theme, the 6th TensiNet Symposium is structured by:

• 3 Plenary sessions, namely Soft Structures, Softening the Environment, Soft Skins;

• 1 Academia vs Industry Open Talk Session, linked to the Exhibition;

• 5 Parallel sessions which are expected to drive and spread 10 different topics on special technical issues, reviews of State of the Art and case studies.

In the “Soft Structures” Plenary session, the future frontiers of tensile membrane structures will be explored thanks the involvement of a variety of disciplines and perspectives. The concept of lightness will shift its essence from vision to necessity, from shape to matter, while lightweight structures will have to become fully energy-saving, efficiently load-bearing and, last but not least, carrying on novel concepts of beauty, flexible functions and adaptive structures. The summary of key topics of the “Soft Structures” Plenary session is: Structural Lightness, Structural efficiency, New materials & unpredictable shapes, Metal free structures, hybrid structures, Detailing & installation.

Furthermore, the Plenary session “Softening the Environment” will focus on the pivotal role of designing, manufacturing and building architectures, structures and landscapes and their impacts on global sustainability challenges. The main goal of the Plenary session is to draw the attention to measuring the quality of current and future lightweight constructions in terms of environmental efficiency, user’s comfort, materials and building products’ durability and end-life scenarios.

The summary of key topics of the “Softening the Environment” Plenary session is: Weight reduction opportunities in design and manufacturing, Material selection strategies in lightweight industry and in lightweight construction, Standard regulations, sustainability targets for the next textile architecture, Production methods, Environmental product declaration and Life Cycle Assessment Methodology.

Finally, the third Plenary session “Soft Skins” will be devoted to the crucial and challenging topic of living structures. We have been long wishing for unwoven, seamless, elastic and durable materials, such as a kind natural fleeces and thin shells. Further basic researches and outstanding practices are leading the development of novel resilient structures and adaptive skins, which will be able to perform a next generation of human constructions. The summary of key topics of the Soft Skins Plenary Session is: Novel aesthetics, Material and light effects, Designing with advanced lightweight materials, Solar design and daylighting optimization, Energy active skins, Energy/thermal management, Sound insulation, Detailing and installation.

Several Parallel sessions will eventually explore the following main sub-topics: the “Movement in Lightweight Structures” will unfold the topics: Demountable structures and Kinetic/ Kinematic/ Foldable structures. In parallel, the session “Recently Built Structures” will unfold the topics: Pneumatic & air-supported structures and Complex/ hybrid structures.

The Parallel session: “Environmental Compatible Membrane Structures” (IASS WG18 Environmentally Compatible Structures joined session) will unfold the topics: Design & Simulation and Analysis & Performances assessment.

Lastly, the Parallel sessions “Adaptive of Membrane-based Skins” and “Adaptivity of Transparent Foils-based Skins” will unfold the topics: Design & Simulation and Thermal & Acoustic Comfort.

____________________________________________________________________________________

* For exhibitors and sponsorship opportunities, please contact: tensinet2019exhibition@polimi.it

** TS2019 organizing committee, please contact: tensinet2019symposium@polimi.it

Politecnico di Milano

Alessandra Zanelli, Carol Monticelli

TensiNet association

Evi Corne, Marijke Mollaert, Bernd Stimpfle

Dear Colleague,

We are delighted to invite you to participate and submit your abstract to the 6th International TensiNet Symposium “Softening the Habitats: Sustainable Innovations in Minimal Mass Structures and Lightweight Architectures” that will take place from the 3th to the 5th of June 2019 at Politecnico di Milano, in Milan, Italy.

Abstracts Submission is OPEN until 31 May 2018

Abstract Template is available on our website www.tensinet2019.polimi.it

The 2019 TensiNet Symposium edition will open a twofold reflection - by means of both the conference and exhibition - on current innovations, trends and strategies in the field of lightweight membrane structures and mainly on the future of those technologies, which the TensiNet Association is interested in: tensile and pneumatic structures, textile architecture, membranes and foils, ultra-lightweight constructions and structural skins.

Three days of inspiring keynote lectures and plenary sessions, followed by parallel sessions and an open panel discussion will create a very special event where experts in the areas of membrane architecture and engineering, as well as researchers and industry representatives are invited to contribute to constructive debates on soft structures, softening the environment and soft skins.

For more details, please visit congress website www.tensinet2019.polimi.it

We look forward to welcoming you in Milan.

Best Regards,

TS2019 organizing committee

Politecnico di Milano

Alessandra Zanelli, Carol Monticelli

TensiNet association

Evi Corne, Marijke Mollaert, Bernd Stimpfle

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TensiNet Symposium 2019 - Softening the Habitats

Politecnico di Milano

tensinet2019symposium@polimi.it

An overview on the most efficient load bearing system known to date.

The dream of overcoming the force of gravity is so innate in the instinct of humankind that he has always tried to fly even with his own strength. In constructions, the idea of creating structures such light that seems almost transparent is also an idea as old as man, as well as the dream of many engineers. Tensile structures are the emblem of this dream, as they seem to be held on the ground by the few anchors that support them and prevent them from flying away at any moment.

The exhibition will be open for free throughout the day of the San Lazzaro’s festivity, March 18th, and, only by reservation (by calling 0546-34433 or directly addressing with Marco Peroni Ingegneria Office in the Annunziata’s Church, across the street), until the whole month of June.

After many years of holding the event in Berlin, for the first time Textile Roofs will go to Russia. Between May 24th and 26th this year the 23rd edition of the “International Workshop on the Design and Practical Realization of Architectural Membrane Structures” will take place in Moscow, RUSSIA.

The rising interest in membrane architecture in Russia, a developing market in this field, as well as future plans in modern city views, make Moscow be a desired destination for the next edition of Textile Roofs. Together with our partners we will welcome the international community of Membrane Architecture at the Moscow Architectural Institute (State Academy). The event is hosted by Prof. Vladimir Ermolov (CEO & Founder of Verteco Co. Ltd.) and will have the same structure as in the previous years. Presentations in the mornings, followed by various workshop activities in the afternoons will guide you through the whole process of making architectural membrane structures real. Starting from the basic idea up to the final mantling, every single manufacturing step will be explained and discussed.

This Round Robin Exercise 4 is launched by the TensiNet Working Group Specifications and WG5 of the COST Action TU1303 Novel Structural skins and aims at collating reliability indexes for a basic tensioned hypar structure. The exercise is started by Ir.-Arch. Elien De Smedt, Prof. Marijke Mollaert, Prof. Lincy Pyl, Prof Peter Gosling, Dr.-Ing. Jörg Uhlemann and Prof. Jean-Christophe Thomas.

Research institutes, universities, specialised laboratories and engineering offices are invited to volunteer to the Round Robin exercise 4.

See http://www.tensinet.com/files/Announcement___calls/Round%20Robin%20exercise%20IV%20-%20call%20-%20version%202.pdf

The aim of ICSA2019 is to present research and developments on the merging of architecture and structural engineering and is intended for an audience of researchers and practitioners world-wide with a background in architecture and in structural engineering.

This is the world's leading and largest global conference bridging the gap between Structures and Architecture. The contributions on creative and scientific aspects in the conception and construction of structures, on advanced technologies and on complex architectural and structural applications represent a fine blend of scientific, technical and practical novelties in both fields.

The conference will facilitate the meeting of international participants interested in the recent advances in the art, practice and theory of designing and building infrastructures in which the structural and architectonic values are consciously combined and the contribution of each other is mutually enhanced.

It includes architects, structural and construction engineers, builders and building consultants, construction industry persons, academics, researchers, students, product manufacturers, material suppliers, project managers and contract administrators, asset managers, government authorities of infrastructure development and others.

DEADLINE EXTENTION until 31st of March, 2018

CALL FOR ABSTRACT

ICSA2019 – The 4th International Conference on Structures and Architecture, Lisbon, Portugal, July 24-26, 2019

The aim of ICSA2019 is to present research and developments on the merging of architecture and structural engineering and is intended for an audience of researchers and practitioners world-wide with a background in architecture and in structural engineering.

This is the world's leading and largest global conference bridging the gap between Structures and Architecture. The contributions on creative and scientific aspects in the conception and construction of structures, on advanced technologies and on complex architectural and structural applications represent a fine blend of scientific, technical and practical novelties in both fields.

The conference will facilitate the meeting of international participants interested in the recent advances in the art, practice and theory of designing and building infrastructures in which the structural and architectonic values are consciously combined and the contribution of each other is mutually enhanced.

It includes architects, structural and construction engineers, builders and building consultants, construction industry persons, academics, researchers, students, product manufacturers, material suppliers, project managers and contract administrators, asset managers, government authorities of infrastructure development and others.

Abstracts should be submitted by using in the restricted area of ICSA2019 webpage, in electronic form, before March, 15th, 2018. Abstracts will be subjected to a review process by at least two members of the scientific committee.

Authors will be notified about the preliminary acceptance of abstracts until May, 15th, 2018.

The proceedings will be published by Balkema (Taylor & Francis Group), including a book of extended two-page abstracts and a CD-ROM containing the full eight-page papers. These documents are due on November, 15th, 2018. Acceptance will be notified before February, 15th, 2019. Proceedings will be sent for indexation by both Thomson Reuters (Conference Proceedings Citation Index – ISI Proceedings) and Elsevier (Scopus and EI).

www.icsa2019.com

The 6th International TensiNet Symposium “Softening the Habitats: Sustainable Innovations in Minimal Mass Structures and Lightweight Architectures” will take place from the 3th to the 5th of June 2019 at Politecnico di Milano, in Milan, Italy.

The 2019 TensiNet Symposium (TS19) is organized and hosted by the TensiNet Association and in particular by Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi) and Textile Hub, which is an interdepartmental research laboratory on textiles and polymers at PoliMi.

The 2019 TensiNet edition will open a twofold reflection - by means of both the conference (TS19Conf) and exhibition (TS19Exhib) - on current innovations, trends and strategies in the field of lightweight membrane structures and mainly on the future of those technologies, which the TensiNet Association is interested in: tensile and pneumatic structures, textile architecture, membranes and foils, ultra-lightweight constructions and structural skins.

The main topic are Soft Structures, Softening the Environment & Soft Skins.

The Call for Abstracts will be launched  beginning of 2018! More info on http://www.tensinet.com/files/Tensinet_Symposia/TS2019_Milan_Introduction.pdf