[Use of Innovative Combination of Water and Membranes for Temporary Architectural Applications]

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Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to investigate the combination of water and membranes for temporary architectural applications. Water as a construction material, can be useful for three different purposes: first of all, thanks to its thermal mass, it can be used as a medium for cooling down or heating up buildings; secondly water is uncompressible and, in combination with air, can be used as part of a structural element; thirdly the mass of water could work as a sound barrier so it can be used as sound insulation material. This paper shows the result of the structural behaviour. There is another paper about sound insulation properties of water. The research in both structural and sound insulation fields was carried out in the laboratories of universities. The prototype is a “waterbeam” of 2 m span. Starting from the Tensairity technology principle developed by Airlight, the purpose of this experiment is to replace the iron struts with a second membrane chamber filled with water. Water works well in compression and air prevents buckling. The result is a rigid structural element made by non-rigid material (water, air, membranes and cables) with a significant reduction of weight and cost of transportation compared to the traditional iron beam but also compared with the Tensairity system. Different bending tests were carried out. In each test, the two chambers of the beam were filled with air or water to understand the material behaviour. The comparison between the results shows that water works slightly better than air (stiffness increase of a range of 8-13% in the elements filled with water). Water application in architecture showed promising results. Further investigation (pure compression tests on columns, multiple layers sound barrier) should be carried out. These results could give architects new design opportunities and solutions concerning temporary buildings and moveable architecture. Moreover the company and building construction industry could develop innovative structural elements and new insulation components.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION4

Background4

Aims of the Study8

Importance of the Study8

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW9

The membrane in an integrated cell system9

The interphase region in a lipid membrane14

Excluded volume and area per lipid21

Levels of hydration at the membrane27

Specific sites for hydration water29

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY38

Research Design38

Materials Used38

Tests40

CHAPTER IV: RESULTS & FINDINGS42

Findings42

Discussion44

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION47

REFERENCES49

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

Background

According to previous studies carried out at our University in Eindhoven, the combination of membrane and water is effective for cooling or heating the inner spaces, improving the inner climate comfort. Pronk, De Haas and Cox proved that multilayer membranes filled with heat-transmitting substance make it ...