On September 6, this year’s No. 11 typhoon “Yagi” landed on the coast of Wenchang, Hainan at super typhoon level. When landing, the maximum wind force near the center was above level 17. Typhoon “Yagi” became the strongest typhoon to land in my country in history. The typhoon was incredibly destructive and had a major impact on the areas it passed through. The wind and rain were mixed, and there were traces of destruction everywhere, and it was a mess. Fortunately, our client’s membrane structure project Starry Sky remained intact after experiencing strong winds and heavy rains, and withstood the test of the typhoon.

Membrane structure buildings have a place in the field of modern architecture because of their unique performance and aesthetics. For many cities, there are indeed concerns about extreme weather, especially typhoons, when using membrane structure buildings. People are concerned about whether membrane structure buildings can withstand huge winds and pressures when typhoons hit, and whether they have sufficient pressure resistance, earthquake resistance and typhoon resistance.

In order to address these concerns, the design and construction of membrane structures must take into account the needs of compression, earthquake resistance and typhoon resistance from the beginning. The design will be carried out according to key parameters such as earthquake resistance level, live load and wind load to ensure that relevant standards and regulations are met. Since membrane structures are very sensitive to wind, they may encounter aerodynamic instability problems, and special attention needs to be paid during design. This instability phenomenon is usually caused by the coupling of the structure with the vibration mode of the airflow during the vibration process, resulting in energy absorption greater than dissipation, which may eventually cause the structure to change from low-energy vibration to high-energy vibration. Therefore, the design will comprehensively consider environmental conditions, windward area, slope and other factors, accurately calculate the size of the wind load, and determine the scale of the live load according to actual needs to ensure the safety and stability of the building.

Specifically, the Haikou Starry Sky Realm project is a translucent hemispherical building built with ETFE air pillow membrane and steel structure, which belongs to the inflatable membrane structure in the membrane structure building. The inflatable membrane structure is a kind of structure or component that uses high-performance membrane materials as the “outer layer” of the building. By forming a pressure difference on both sides of the membrane, the membrane surface generates the necessary tension, thereby forming a stable shape and a certain bearing capacity. This structure is equipped with special inflatable equipment to maintain internal pressure and ensure the stability of the entire membrane structure system.

The inflatable membrane structure is famous for its excellent wind resistance and can withstand strong typhoons. However, there is a prerequisite for the wind resistance of this structure, that is, all related systems must operate normally. When the typhoon warning was issued, the project manager, business and other personnel of Yexing communicated with the air pump supplier in advance about technical issues, and took the initiative to contact the owner of Hainan Starry Sky Realm to provide necessary assistance to ensure the integrity and safety of the air pillow membrane structure. From the actual picture, it can be seen that the wind was strong and the heavy rain was “walking sideways” on the scene, and the membrane structure was repeatedly beaten by rain and waves. In the morning, the owner reported that the power outage was caused by the typhoon, and the generator was not used. The air pillow membrane structure of Hainan Starry Sky Realm performed quite well in the face of the super typhoon.

Typhoon “Yagi” confirmed the safety and reliability of the membrane structure, which is conducive to the further development of membrane structure buildings. The owner entrusted the project to us, which is the greatest affirmation of Yexing’s construction level. We will also adhere to the craftsmanship, build quality products, and continue to pay attention to the after-sales guarantee of membrane structure projects.

Yexing Company is a professional membrane structure manufacturer and has many cases at home and abroad. If you want to know more membrane structure engineering cases, please visit Yexing official website（https://www.yexingms.com/）or follow our TikTok Account（https://www.tiktok.com/@yexing.group）/ Youtube Account（https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPosuHguAFSnMm9j_FLU_bg）, thank you for your attention.