Load Paths in Fabric Membrane Structures Informed by Failure Analysis and Monitoring of an In-Service Structure

Fabric structures have found widespread use due to their light weight, ease of erection, modularity, and flexible footprint sizes. Unfortunately, these structures have been observed to fail prematurely in below-design wind events in several cases, with severe life safety and financial consequences. Despite these failures, there is little knowledge of the load paths in these structures to guide improved designs. This paper provides preliminary observations on the structural wind-induced response of fabric membrane structures obtained via structural health monitoring of an in-service fabric structure located in a coastal environment near Panama City, FL. The structure was instrumented in July 2020 with 66 individual sensors. Between August 2020 and November 2020, the instrumented structure was affected by ten windstorm events with peak 3-s gust wind speeds of at least 15 m/s. The captured data provide insights on the lateral and vertical load paths through the structure, the dynamic response of the building to high winds, and the role of wind-induced internal pressurization. This paper contextualizes these observations with respect to previously studied failures.