Intersting More About Tensile Structure

Jo Smith, Tensile Structures Engineer

27/07/2011 Written by: Gill Sincock

One of our former grad students, Jo is now a well known tensile structures engineer based in our Bath office.

So tensile structures – more than just a big tent?

GRRR - so much more than just a big tent! Using a lightweight material to construct a structure gives you endless creative possibilities that are cheaper and more sustainable than using heavier equivalents. And forget tents – the discipline has developed leaps and bounds – the possibilities are almost endless, you can form some really funky geometry that spans long distances with minimum support.

How far – reach for the moon?

Well without supporting cables about 40 metres depending on the type of fabric used so the moon’s out but with supporting cables the options are almost unlimited.

Name me some famous tensile structures then?

Easy – the obvious one is the Millennium Dome, now known as the O2 Arena, and a particular favourite of mine as I had the opportunity to walk on top of it, unharnessed! How cool is that? It’s really amazing as the top is a giant flat plane so quite safe, although very windy.

Just like a giant trampoline then?

Ha, almost! During the installation of fabric roofs you often see people bouncing along them as if they are giant trampolines as it’s the easiest way to walk from one end to the other. I actually got the chance to do this on the canopy roof over St Bart’s School central courtyard while on a visit with the fabric contractor – lots of fun!

Any more for any more?

Some other great examples of tensile structures are the roof of the new 2012 London Olympic Stadium, Khan Shatyr in Kazakhstan and one of the oldest but prettiest tensile structures – the Aga Khan award winning Diplomatic Club in Riyadh or Tuwaiq Palace as it’s also known.  

Who said engineering wasn’t fun. Can you make tensile structures more fun and a bit more colourful?

That’s one of my missions – to change people’s misperceptions of tensile structures as white and bland, and to open their eyes to the myriad of colours and shapes you can create now. In fact on my desk this very minute I have a totally amazing piece of fabric that’s two tone metallic purple and blue – imagine that on a stadium – it would look like it was covered in a fabulous metal cladding! To be fair the sample was made especially for me as purple and blue are my favourite colours but I’m looking out for an opportunity to use it somewhere…

What else do you want to tell the world about tensile structures?

Well, another misconception is that it won’t last long. PTFE coated glass fibre has a life of 30 years plus – and it could be a lot longer – it just hasn’t been in use much longer than that for us to know. Existing structures of that age still look amazing. And then people are put off using it because they think it has no insulation properties but there are excellent insulated fabrics on the market now, and there’s always cushions...

So have tent(sile structure),will travel?

Actually yes, because there’s very few of us in the discipline – I do get to travel around a bit. So far I’ve spent a week in Saudi, been to Bulgaria, Dusseldorf, Lyon and spent 36 hours in San Diego. That was a bit of a whistle stop trip – I left Bath at 6am Tuesday morning and was back by midday Friday, although I did get to spend four hours shopping in Santa Monica while waiting for a flight; got a lovely handbag!

So what’s the proudest moment of your career so far?

Easy. It was my job to look after the fabric roof of the 2012 London Olympic Stadium and I was on site to see the installation of the first few panels – it was a breathtaking moment – the pinnacle of my career so far.

Your perfect job?

Yes – I really love it and I love the industry too. The tensile structures world is really small; many of us are members of Tensinet, an association for the design and construction of tensile membrane structures, and we all know each other – so it feels like I’ve got friends across the world. It’s great to meet up at conferences and see what everybody’s up to.

So what do you do when you’re not creating funky structures?

I’m trying to get chartered this summer and having just got engaged, there’s the small matter of arranging a wedding…

Will the reception be held in the mother of all marquees then?

No – it’s going to be in the winter and marquees, wedding dresses, heels and mud don’t really mix. However if anyone wants to offer me a really good ‘mates rate’ deal…

Anything we’d be surprised to know about you?

I love to dance; I spent 13 years performing tap, modern and jazz in competitions and shows; every Christmas I was involved in the pantomime season. Sadly I don’t really have the time to do that now but would love to get back in to it.
Also I owe my career to my mum; I wanted to become a hairdresser but she was determined that I wouldn’t. Without her perseverance I’d be creating mega-structures out of hairspray and hair extensions!

And finally – what’s the strangest thing that’s turned up on your desk?

A strange question that deserves a strange answer. Last year some giant cable connection forks arrived in the post from Germany – each one is so heavy I can barely lift it, a little unexpected but they provide good ornaments!