load bearing straps for architectural & tensile membrane structures

Tensile structure is the term usually used to refer to the construction of roofs using a membrane held in place on steel cables. Their main characteristics are the way in which they work under tensile stress, their ease of pre-fabrication, their ability to cover large spans, and their malleability. This structural system calls for a small amount of material thanks to the use of thin canvases, which when stretched using steel cables, create surfaces capable of overcoming the forces imposed upon them.

When Wisla was approached by a leading international architectural design and manufacturing company to investigate the issue of identifying a potential replacement to the heavy and costly steel cables with a textile alternative, our combined technical teamwork was required.

Already having had experience of Kuraray’s (www.kuraray.com) liquid crystal polymer yarn spun from polyarylate fibre, Vectran™, Wisla designed, sampled and manufactured a product that took advantage of numerous aspects of the technical performance of the yarn, which translated positively into an 80mm wide woven product. The fibre itself is five times stronger than steel, exhibits exceptional vibration damping and dimensional stability.

The key elements were its high strength-to-weight ratio, a relatively flat and low extension curve, low levels of creep over time, resistance to the elements further enhanced by an integral outer sheath made from multifilament synthetic polyester yarn. All these elements, and more besides, combined to make the webbing replacement to steel cable a viable, performance driven, cost-effective and long term alternative.

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