You must have come across very familiar inverted conical pointy structures resembling a wizard’s hat. Well, that is nothing but inverted cone tensile structure, a type of tensile structures which find immense application in design of car parking tensile structures, swimming pool covers, sun sheds, hotels and restaurants roofs etc. The design is thought to be highly stable and balanced.
Inverted cone tensile structures are mainly made up of fabrics derived from polymers or polymer coated fiberglass. The use of tensile fabric grants them durability, elasticity, strength, weather resistance and elegance. Depending on material being used it could exhibit some unique characteristics as well. For instance, use of ETFE film empowers them with exceptional UV resistance and greenhouse properties. It also enhances their self-cleansing capabilities. Similarly, fiberglass coated Teflon grants them extreme resilience to weather elements and exceptional elasticity. The choice of material is largely guided by cost constraints.