| In this age of increasing concern for | | | | Since the textiles are supplied in roll |
| the health of the planet it is more | | | | form, the materials required for an |
| important than ever to look at ways of | | | | entire building can be transported in a |
| minimising the long term impact of | | | | single medium-sized van thereby |
| buildings upon the environment and to | | | | minimising the effect of transporting |
| investigate new methods of sustainable | | | | raw materials upon the environment. |
| construction. | | | | Thanks to initiatives such as the |
| A new kind of building technology is | | | | TexyloopTM service pioneered by Ferrari |
| emerging as an environmentally friendly | | | | Textiles, the scrap material produced |
| alternative to conventional building | | | | during the manufacture of inflatable |
| methods. This technology produces | | | | buildings can be collected, recycled and |
| structures which are highly efficient in | | | | made into new composite textiles. |
| terms of the amount of material used in | | | | The inflatable buildings produced by |
| their construction, require no permanent | | | | Tectoniks Ltd. have a long life |
| foundations, can be relocated easily, | | | | expectancy but when they do eventually |
| and can recycled. | | | | reach the end of their service they can |
| The buildings in question are in fact a | | | | also be recycled using services such as |
| new generation of inflatable buildings. | | | | Texyloop. |
| These are no ordinary inflatables | | | | Another environmental benefit of |
| however. They are designed using the | | | | inflatable buildings is that they do not |
| latest CAD technology and structural | | | | require permanent foundations. |
| analysis software and are constructed | | | | Conventional buildings usually require |
| from modern, fire retardant, composite | | | | concrete foundations which are permanent |
| textiles which are cut and joined using | | | | and cannot be moved. An inflatable |
| techniques developed form aerospace | | | | building would typically be anchored |
| manufacturing. This enables the | | | | using spiral anchors which are literally |
| buildings to operate at higher pressures | | | | screwed into the ground. If a building |
| than conventional inflatable structures | | | | needs to be relocated, the anchors are |
| producing much stiffer, stronger | | | | unscrewed and used again. The flooring |
| structures. | | | | used in the buildings is modular and can |
| It's important at this point to make a | | | | be laid on top of the ground. It can |
| distinction between air-supported | | | | also be re-used if the building is |
| buildings and inflatable buildings. A | | | | moved. |
| traditional air-supported building is | | | | Once an inflatable building has been |
| one which is comprised of a single layer | | | | moved, there is no lasting impact upon |
| membrane attached to the ground around | | | | the site where it used to be. |
| its perimeter. Air is blown under the | | | | Another important consideration when |
| membrane to lift it off the ground and | | | | assessing the environmental impact of a |
| form the shape of the building. | | | | building is the energy used throughout |
| An inflatable building on the other | | | | its life. Because Tectoniks structures |
| hand, uses two layers of membrane | | | | are of a welded construction (as opposed |
| connected together typically using spars | | | | to stitched), they are virtually air |
| made from the same material. The cavity | | | | tight. Conventional stitched inflatables |
| formed between the layers is pressurised | | | | require high power electric blowers |
| with air producing a rigid structural | | | | which run constantly. Tectoniks |
| element which allows large span | | | | structures require much smaller blowers |
| structures to be achieved. | | | | which are connected to a control system |
| The structures, pioneered by Tectoniks | | | | which only activates them when the |
| Limited in the UK, are extremely weight | | | | pressure in the structure falls below a |
| efficient and are highly portable yet | | | | certain level. The blowers then run for |
| they have the strength of metal-framed | | | | a few seconds to top up the pressure. |
| portable buildings and can be made into | | | | The low power requirement for these |
| virtually any shape. | | | | structures means that it is entirely |
| So what makes them so environmentally | | | | possible to use solar power to provide |
| friendly? Well, firstly, the majority of | | | | the electricity required for their |
| a finished inflatable building is made | | | | operation. |
| from fresh air. Analysis of a finished | | | | Inflatable buildings also have a natural |
| structure shows that the amount of | | | | level of insulation provided by the air |
| textile used represents only 0.5% of the | | | | contained within the walls. Tectoniks |
| volume of the structure. For example, | | | | have also pioneered methods for adding |
| one square metre of a 500mm thick | | | | additional insulation within the |
| inflatable wall has a volume of 0.5 | | | | inflatable walls. The insulation |
| cubic metres but the quantity of fabric | | | | material is flexible and is packed up |
| used in its construction is only 0.0025 | | | | with the building when deflated. |
| cubic metres. An inflatable building | | | | If the environmental impact of a new |
| must surely be the most efficient of all | | | | building is a major concern, then the |
| building types in terms of the amount of | | | | benefits of using Tectoniks inflatable |
| raw materials used compared to the | | | | structures are well worth consideration. |
| volume of the finished structure. | | | | |