Woodhead Publishing Textiles, Polymers and Composites for Buildings (Woodhead Publishing Series in Textiles)

Textiles, polymers and composites are increasingly being utilised within the building industry. This pioneering text provides a concise and representative overview of the opportunities available for textile, polymer and composite fibres to be used in construction and architecture. The first set of chapters examine the main types and properties of textiles, polymers and composites used in buildings. The second part of the book presents a selection of applications within the building industry. Chapters range from the use of textiles in tensile structures, sustainable building concepts with textile materials, innovative composite-fibre applications for architecture, to smart textile and polymer fibres for structural health monitoring. Key Features: provides a concise and representative overview of the opportunities available for textile, polymer and composite fibres to be used in construction; provides an insight into how high-tech textiles already influence our daily lives as well as potential applications in modern buildings; features a thorough discussion of technical characteristics and requirements of textiles used for buildings and construction. Contents: Part 1 Main types of textiles and polymers used in building and construction: Types and production of textiles used for building and construction; Technical characteristics and requirements of textiles used for building and construction; Fibre reinforced polymer composite materials for building and construction; Developing and testing textiles and coatings for tensioned membrane structures; Polymer foils used in construction. Part 2 Applications of textiles and polymers in construction: Tensile structures textiles for architecture and design; The role, properties and applications of textile materials in sustainable buildings; Learning from nature: lightweight constructions using the technical plant stem ; The role of textiles in providing biomimetic solutions for construction; Smart textile and polymer fibres for structural health monitoring; Textiles for insulation systems, control of solar gains and thermal losses and solar systems; Sustainable buildings: Biomimicry and textile applications; Challenges in using textile materials in architecture: the case of Australia; Innovative composite-fibre components in architecture.