NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF ETFE FOIL SPRING CUSHION STRUCTURES

Tensile membrane structures and inflatable membrane structures are the two forms of traditional ETFE foil structures. In this paper, a new ETFE foil spring cushion structural system was developed and compared with the traditional ETFE foil air cushion system. Two numerical models, i.e. a spring cushion unit model with tension rods in it and a spring cushion model with two units, were analyzed by means of ANSYS software package. The shape-finding analysis and stress analysis considering snow loading and wind loading were carried out. The structural behaviors of an ETFE foil spring cushion system were investigated.