Fabric architecture is now appearing all over and in a wide variety of venues. Very often these tent-like structures are supported by a steel frame that involves steel tube bending. Because steel tube bending can be done with tubing from 3/8 inch OD tubing to 24 inch OD pipe and 20 x 12 rectangular tubing, the steel can be formed to give shape to almost any size structure with a fabric covering. For example, the fabric covering on the canopies for the Muskogee Medical Center (below) are given an aesthetically pleasing shape by the 3, 4, and 5 inch round tube bending supporting it.
On a larger scale, outdoor structures in Michigan have the fabric supported by 12 inch diameter pipe creating a band shell and pavilion in Grand Rapids, MI
Moving up in size, KC Live! is a major project that has helped rejuvenate downtown Kansas City. What is unique about this structure is that the steel supports a single-layer EFTE (ethylene tetrafluorethylene) membrane, the first such system used in North America. 50 tons of 10 inch square tubing frame the structure creating an outdoor courtyard inside the new, mixed-use development known as the Power and Light District. Adjacent to KC Live! is the new Sprint Arena, another impressive structure incorporating curved steel. The ETFE system is the same as used for the Beijing Olympic Stadium, aka the “Bird’s Nest. The virtues of the combination of fabric with steel tube bending include lightweight construction, special lighting effects, ease of joining the fabric to the smooth tubing and an attractive, clean and structurally sound design.
Lastly, a very large fabric roof covers the University of Phoenix Stadium. Here the gigantic frame is comprised of 12 inch square tubing for the lenticular (curved on the top and the bottom—like a lens) trusses supporting the retractable roof.
The canopy, the Michigan pavilions and the stadium above all have fabric that is translucent: it lets in light but is not transparent. The KC Live! covering, however, is 75% transparent which allows for some very special effects. From the inside, visitors can see the skyscrapers all around the courtyard. When lit up from the inside at night, a special fretting on the surface allows the roof to glow on the outside in different colors.
The success of these projects results from the happy marriage of steel tube bending covered by fabric.
