Case Study: Dalton Park achieves striking tensile fabric canopies with Oasys Software

Dalton Park - Customer Case Study

Dalton Park, an outlet shopping development in the UK, required an architecturally striking yet functional solution to provide shelter from the elements for its central street. The challenge was to design and engineer a series of complex tensile fabric canopies that could handle large deflections and non-linear behavior under wind and snow loads. Oasys Software's GSA, with its specialized fabric analysis tools, was used for the crucial form-finding and structural analysis required for this project.

The solution from Oasys involved using the GSRelax non-linear solver within GSA to determine the minimal surface shapes and model the structure's behavior, ensuring the correct prestress levels were achieved to prevent ponding and maintain tension. This analysis provided the loads for designing the supporting cables and steelwork. The result was the successful installation of over 5000m² of PVC-polyester membrane, creating a light, airy, and unique environment for the development. The use of Oasys software was invaluable in taking the project from the architect's sketch to a deceptively simple and elegant realized structure.

Dalton Park