Tensinet

The FREI OTTO 100 – THE SPIRIT OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION symposium, held on 5 and 6 June, featured several key presentations.

Annette Bögle spoke about rethinking lightweight construction, raising questions such as:

Have we lost the holistic approach to design?

Can we go further?

Can we explore circularity in the context of lightweight design?

We should certainly push beyond the current 'normal'.

Mariana Popescu gave a talk on Tailored Materiality.

There is so much creativity in her work. She uses knitted materials and travelled with the 'skin' of KnitCandela in her backpack.

The fact that the installation Common Thread, initially developed for the 2024 Bruges Triennial in Belgium, has been reconfigured for ILEK (circularity!) shows her strong vision for lightweight, sustainable building.

Job vacancy for a research assistant (100 %, 3 years) in the field of membrane structures working in the frame of a funded research project (DFG).

See https://www.uni-due.de/karriere/stelle.php?kennziffer=185-25; https://www.uni-due.de/iml/

Online workshop: The second generation Eurocodes: key changes and benefits through design examples.
Tuesday, 3 June 2025 - Thursday, 5 June 2025

Registration is open at: https://eurocodes.jrc.ec.europa.eu/events/second-generation-eurocodes-key-changes-and-benefits-through-design-examples

Tuesday 3 June 2025 03:00 PM - 04:15 PM CEST

CEN/TS 19102 ‘Design of tensioned membrane structures’

Marijke Mollaert, Bernd Stimpfle; CEN/TC 250/WG 5

Located in the southern cemetery of Tournai (Belgium), this multi-philosophical space is designed to host respectful farewell ceremonies.

See link

TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026

This combined symposium Shaping the pathway to future tensioned membrane design will be held from 30th September – 2nd October 2026 at the Institute for Metal and Lightweight Structures, Campus Essen. Website link. Email tensinet-ems2026@uni-due.de

Call for ABSTRACTS: We invite you to participate and submit your abstract by 31st August 2025. The three main topics are: 1/ Design, Modelling and Simulation of Structural Membranes; 2/ Materials and Execution & 3/Sustainability and Building Physics.If these topics would not fit, it is possible to select “other”.

Call for sponsoring There is the opportunity to sponsor the symposium. There are 4 categories with corresponding benefits: Platinum sponsorship for 4000€; Gold for 3000€; Silver for 2000€ and Copper for 1000€.

See also the announcement in the TensiNews issue 48

For members (login) link, For non-members link

In this TensiNews issue you will find updates on our TensiNet Symposium in collaboration with the University Duisburg-Essen. It is a joint event being at the same time the 8th edition of our TensiNet symposium and the 7th edition of the Essen Membranbau Symposium. The title is “Shaping the pathway to future tensioned membrane design” with topics arranged around the current development within our industry. The conference website is now online and the call for abstracts just launched! https://www.uni-due.de/iml/tensinet-ems2026.php

Enjoy reading this issue containing inspiring projects and the results of a research project. You find also an invitation to celebrate TensiNet’s 25 anniversary during the Frei Otto 100 symposium which will take place at Ilek, Stuttgart.

We have something to celebrate: TensiNet is 25!

We invite you for a drink and to the General Assembly Meeting of the TensiNet Association. It will be held after the Frei Otto 100 symposium at the University of Stuttgart in Germany on 5-6 June.

On Friday 6th June, there will be a drink from 16.00, followed by the General Assembly Meeting (16.45-17.45).

If you would like to attend the event and General Assembly Meeting, please send an email to info@tensinet.com.

If you're interested in attending the symposium Frei Otto 100, visit https://www.freiotto100.de/. Please register quickly, as there are only 150 places available. You can register as an early bird (until 21 March).

Please find the latest TENSINEWSFLASH WINTER 2024 Link

A brief presentation about TensiNet’s activities and aims was given by Marijke Mollaert during the annual IASS WG6 meeting. Enjoy this presentation.

IASS WG6 - Tension and Membrane Structures

Prof. Dr. Ken'ichi KAWAGUCHI (Chair) - Japan

Prof. Marijke MOLLAERT (Co-Chair) - Belgium

The TensiNet Association represents the tensioned membrane industry and is an expert in membrane construction products.

Today we have received from ECHA (European Chemical Agency) the confirmation that the TensiNet association has been accepted as one of ECHA’s accredited stakeholder organisations. Our application meets the eligibility criteria endorsed by the Agency’s Management Board and therefore our application has been accepted.

Accredited stakeholders in the Agency’s work in a variety of ways – through discussions, workshops and events, joint activities and regular updates about topical issues. We hope that you will join us in this important work of protecting human health and the environment and to ensure the safe use of chemicals. TensiNet will be represented by the following experts:

For the Committee for Risk Assessment meetings:

-        Carol Monticelli, Leader of the TensiNet Working Group Sustainability and Comfort, Associate Professor in Technology of Architecture, Politecnico di Milano, Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering Department,

-        Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heidrun Bögner-Balz, Leader of the TensiNet Working Group Specifications GOOD PRACTICE, Professor at the Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart, Fakultät Bauingenieurwesen, Bauphysik und Wirtschaft, Fachgebiet Nachhaltige Werkstoffe im Bauwesen,

-        If Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heidrun Bögner-Balz is not available due to other obligations (not yet confirmed), Dipl.-Ing. Bernd Stimpfle will attend the meeting: Chair of TensiNet, Managing Director at formTL, ingenieure für tragwerk und leichtbau gmbh, radolfzell, germany.

For the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis meetings:

-        Carol Monticelli, Leader of the TensiNet Working Group Sustainability and Comfort, Associate Professor in Technology of Architecture, Politecnico di Milano, Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering Department,

-        Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heidrun Bögner-Balz, Leader of the TensiNet Working Group Specifications GOOD PRACTICE, Professor at the Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart, Fakultät Bauingenieurwesen, Bauphysik und Wirtschaft, Fachgebiet Nachhaltige Werkstoffe im Bauwesen.

See link for more information on the PFAS restriction proposal.