As we have seen, pressure structures, like on the other hand several developments in technology and industry, originated in the military.

In fact, even today inside many barracks, various spaces such as warehouses, places used for vehicle and weapons maintenance, tool sheds or any mobile hospitals are penumatic constructions.

However, in the present day, military application is not the main area of use of pressostatic structures, which are well exploited for commercial purposes with very satisfactory results.

The advantages of these solutions are mainly the low initial investment costs and the ability to completely remove pressostatic covers if they are no longer needed.

Here are the current uses of pressostatic structures:

• Pressure structures for warehouses

Just as in the military, in industry, particularly food industry, permanent indoor warehouses have never been an advantage for companies, both because space requirements can change over time and because the demand for goods is not constant.

In addition, if you decide to rent a storage facility, it is often located far away from your business premises, which can be an obstacle to rehousing stock.

Here is where a pressostatic structure may be the right answer to remedy this problem, precisely because of the possibility of changing its volume and location over time according to business needs.

• Pressostatic structures for industry

Manufacturing and agricultural industries are also subject to production flexibility.

In the former case, pressostatic structures may be the most suitable solution to meet rapid production expansion demands.

In the case of the agricultural production, a pressostructure can also come to the aid of making fertile land by nature unsuitable for cultivation, through the creation of an artificial environment consisting of large expanses of sand and gravel covered with pneumatic structures in which a computerized system provides an ideal environment for vegetation growth.

In addition, for many manufacturing processes, such as in food or electronics, strict control of the environment, which must be free of dust and maintain high levels of hygiene at all times, is essential. Pressostructures are those that more than any other type of roofing allow each space to be controlled within precise and defined limits.

• Pressure structures in construction

In the construction industry, pressostatic structures allow for very significant applications, especially during building construction.

In countries with very cold weather conditions, for example, construction involves additional costs due to the inability to work on bad weather days and the need to heat rooms and protect materials from the cold.

A pressostatic cover allows workers to work in comfortable environments at all times with a significant economic benefit.

• Sports pressostatic structures

However, the largest application of pressure structures is still sports-related, to which more than 70 percent of all pneumatic structures built can be attributed.

In particular, the largest percentage of use of the pressure structures in the sports sector is that related to the coverage of tennis and padel courts, followed by swimming pools, bowling alleys, riding arenas, volleyball, basketball, and soccer fields, skating rinks, and school gyms.

• Social and recreational uses of pressure vessels

Another expanding application of pressure structures is for exhibition and aquapark use and, in some countries of the world such as the USA, traveling evangelical churches.

Spaces that require immission control, such as biogas membranes and open landfill cover, also find ample benefit from the use of pressostatic structures.

In summary, where there is a need for quick, low-cost coverage where there are seasonal or itinerant needs, as well as when there is a need to be able to have quick removal, pneumatic coverage is undoubtedly the most appropriate solution.

Canobbio Textile has always been a leader in the field of sports covers.

Professionalism, expertise and a focus on customer satisfaction while maintaining high quality standards of manufactured goods have always characterized the textile company in northern Italy.

Among the sports pressures made by Canobbio Textile are numerous soccer fields, padel, basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf, and even swimming pools.

Due to some fires and failures, however, the full implementation and actual use of pressostatic structures did not occur until 1946 in Alaska, used as a shelter for radar equipment.

Since that time, so-called airdomes began to be widely used in America for the purpose of quickly establishing covered areas such as warehouses, war weapons assembly areas, vehicle and aircraft maintenance workshops, mobile hospitals and more.

What is, in technical terms, a pressure structure?

A pressure balloon is a “building” whose materials are held in place by aerostatic pressure, that is, by air pressure.

They are, therefore, highly resistant shaped inflatable covers whose shape is determined by the difference in pressure between the inner shell and the atmospheric pressure, thus representing an extremely efficient structural system in terms of load-bearing weight ratio.

Overpressure in the structure is maintained by a main inflation unit, which is integrated with the heating system.

The pressostatic roof is essentially formed by a double or triple pvc roofing membrane with a central semi-cylindrical shaped tunnel, closed at both ends by two positive total curvature sails.

The material used for the pressure structures is a high-tenacity polyester fabric, coated with PVC-based compounds on both faces, treated against fungus and mold, UV-resistant, whose technical characteristics of weight, tensile strength and tear strength are suitable for use and given in the material technical tables.

The closing membrane of the pressostatic cover can be single or double.

In the latter case, some of the air that is fed into the structure by the blower is conveyed between the 2 membranes, in turn keeping them under pressure and thus detached from each other, creating an air gap. This bearing makes it possible to contain heat loss, hence energy expenditures related to winter operation, when the heat generator is used in addition to the blower to keep the structure warm.

Pressostatic balloons are now highly popular in the sports sector (swimming pools, tennis courts, padel courts, volleyball courts, golf courses, soccer fields, riding arenas) because of their ease of assembly and disassembly and because they can cover particularly large areas.

Because of these features, in addition to their uses for sports, pressure structures can also be used as storage areas, warehouses, or to create covered places for rallies, events, and festivals.

Projects of pressure structures made by Canobbio Textile.

Canobbio Textile specializes in the construction of pressostatic structures and has completed numerous sports roofing projects: pressure structures for soccer e pressostructures for sports.

All facilities are designed and installed complete with LED lighting systems specific to different sports activities.

The stability of the pressostatic structure, even in the event of a power failure, is ensured by an emergency secondary unit with a diesel engine, connected to the pressure sensor and an anemometer that detects the wind speed by automatically intervening.

The control of proper operation is processed by a PLC, which is programmed to manage the operation of the pressure structure and economize operating costs with the ability to send data and any anomalies via GSM and limit the presence of the sports facility manager.

It is an optimal solution for easily and relatively inexpensively covering sports and industrial facilities, as it is extremely durable and easy to install.

Airdome are particularly suitable for those who wish to take advantage of year-round sports facilities and have secure industrial storage facilities.

What are the features and advantages of a pressostatic cover?

One of the main features of these structures is the versatility of the material used, PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

PVC is a plastic material that is perfectly suited for the production of tarpaulins for vehicle covers, industrial structures (such as sheds and warehouses) and sports facilities. In the latter case, pvc tarpaulins are applied to pressostatic balloons that cover tennis courts and soccer fields.

This type of roofing can be single-membrane, double-membrane or triple-membrane, depending on the layers of fabric applied to the underlying structure.

The advantages of pressostatic balloons include several aspects, starting with the material used, which is very flexible, durable and can protect spaces from weather and sunlight, making it safe and waterproof.

Not to mention that PVC tarpaulins have a very low cost, as well as being easy to install and remove, and can also easily be customized to specific requests.

But the field of choice for pressostatic structures concerns spaces used for sports and leisure: sports can be attributed more than 70 percent of all the average air-supported structures built, including tennis courts, soccer fields, volleyball courts, basketball courts, swimming pools, riding arenas, bowling alleys, skating rinks, and school gyms.

The experience gained in the designs and realizations of large airdomes with high technology content makethe textile a viable solution for covering entire soccer fields.

In these realizations, where energy efficiency and functionality of the structure are combined with architecture, interesting projects are born with the use of durable textiles and cutting-edge engineering solutions, such as those made by Canobbio Textile.

This is the case with the airdome made in cooperation with the Finnish company AABA for the city of Helsinkiy, where Canobbio Textile made a cover the size of 60.50 x 89 meters covering the winter playing field of the Helsingin Jalkapalloklubiof the city that plays in the Finnish premier league.

As well as of the airdome made in collaboration with general contractor OY POLARHALL-SCANDINAVIAN AV for the city of Piteå in Sweden, where Canobbio Textile made a cover measuring 115×75 meters in width to winter soccer field roofing of the city’s women’s team, which plays in the Swedish premier league.

Permanent pressure balloons are made with the ENERGY-P ADVANTAGE innovative technology, developed in recent years, which consists of two completely detached 40-cm membranes.

Comparing the three types (Single Membrane, Double Membrane and Energy) under the same climatic conditions, it turns out that DM saves 11% compared with MS while the Energy solution saves 20%.

In addition to the two completely detached membranes, a inner membrane with a special treatment that has a dual function: the membrane allows in the winter season to conserve heat from the roof, having less heat loss and significant energy savings, while in the summer months reduces radiation and the resulting internal overheating.

Discover our projects and contact us for more information!