Pneumatic Construction Applied to Multistory Buildings

T he possible utilization of sealed .. membranes supported by a small in­ ternal air pressure' has now become a practical solution for a number of architectural problems, We are fa­ miliar with the application of pneu­ matic enclosures to sports arenas, hermetically-sealed food stores, and warehouses, as well as temporary convention and exhibition stadiums. In all of these cases, lightness of weight, mobility, and the possibility of accommodating large spans (sometimes in excess of 200 it) have led to the adoption of air-supported structures. Even though these air ­ halls form a unique class of construc­ tion, and unquestionably provide an economically enclosed space suitable for specific functions, they are nev­ ertheless of relatively small impor­ tance in a building industry pre­ occupied largely \vith multistory construction. The potentialities of a newly devel­ oped structural system may be gaged, in part at least, by its versa­ tility in being able to satisfy ex­ pected future trends on a broad basis. Accordingly, pneumatic con-