THE 7th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

"CIVIL ENGINEERING - SCIENCE AND PRACTICE"

GNP 2020 – Kolašin, Montenegro, 10-14 March 2020

Hartmut Pasternak1, Thomas Krausche2

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND ASSEMBLY OF TWO MEMBRANE-

CLADDED DOUBLE-CURVED NET ROOFS

Abstract
For stadium roofs light weight constructions, that are tensioned between a cantilevering steel
compression ring, are commonly build around the globe, mostly for social events like sport
games and concerts. They allow having no columns in the viewing area and also spanning the
whole arena. With the additional use of membranes as the roof shell, the inside of the building
will get naturally lighted. With the knowledge of the occurring loads, an economic structure can
be found to optimize the edge structure. Frequently the form finding process will use the death
loads as decisive action because for only one load case a moment free form can be determined.
Other load cases will cause bending in the girder. The process also allows having only supports
at the low points and a cantilever arises. These types of roofs will be compared with two
exemplary canopies in Germany. The main focus will be on the assembly of the edge girder,
which will evoke challenges for planning as well as the actual manufacturing process. The steel
edge girder is double curved and has a spatially shape. The welded box exists of 4 to 5 curving
plates that have thicknesses from 15mm to 55mm and will vary in their height. Due to welding
residual stresses occur during the assembly in the factory as well as on the construction side.
For the design of the girders, the residual stresses need to be determined. The identified results
of the residual stresses will vary through the plate thickness and will differ for residual
longitudinal and residual transverse stresses. The longitudinal residual stresses, as the relevant
residual stresses for axial forces, will be farther scrutinized. Due to its complex geometry the
challenges of the simulation will be presented for the manufacturing process and the
construction site assembly. For the farther investigation the calculated stresses will be taken for
a load capacity calculation of a section of the edge girder. Due to the forming geometry and the
welding process, both effects need to be considered. This calculation will also show that the
edge girder needs to be stiffened in the inside with bulkhead plate’s und longitudinal stiffeners.
Both authors are involved in the verification of the objects (Customer Centre in the Autostadt
Wolfsburg-CC, Feuerstein Arena ‐ FA in the Harz Mountains) mentioned below.
Key words
Sporting venues, roofs, cable grids, membrane construction

1
Professor Dr.-Ing. habil., IPP Braunschweig/Cottbus and Brandenburg University of Technology, Chair of Steel and
Timber Structures, Cottbus, Germany, Hartmut.Pasternak@b-tu.de
2
Dipl.-Ing. IWE, IPP Braunschweig/Cottbus and Brandenburg University of Technology, Chair of Steel and Timber
Structures, Cottbus, Germany,i-p-p@gmx.de

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1. ARCHITECTURAL ASPECTS

In order to give its customers, the opportunity to get to know their new car without stresses,
the Autostadt in Wolfsburg has built a covered parking area in 2013 shown in Figure 1, left. The
new car owners experience their latest acquisition while testing some essential function before
entering the traffic. In the Harz Mountains in the north of Germany, a similar canopy was in 2017
constructed. This structure will have a different usage. The roof will provide the possibility to have
all kind of different leisure events such as figure skating, ice hockey in the winter (Figure 1, right)
or even concerts in the summer. In Figure 2, the main dimensions are shown. The foundations are
visible to clarify the whole structure, which the costumer will not be able to see.

Figure 1. left: Exit of the Customer Center (CC) at Autostadt Wolfsburg, Germany [1], right:
Visualization Feuerstein Arena (FA) in Schierke [3]

Figure 2. Dimensions of left: CC at Wolfsburg, [1], right: Feuerstein Arena (FA) in Schierke [2]

In Table 1 the two similar canopies are compared in their dimensions. As noted with the
local conditions at the foundations, the choice of dimensions corresponds to local demands and
boundary conditions.
Table 1. Comparison of both roofs
AKC FA
Height 6,0 – 9,0m 11,50m
Distance high points 55 m 43 m
Distance low points 38 m 73 m
Membrane area 1610m² 2300m²

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The concept for the Customer Center is given in Figure 3 with the exploded drawing, which
visualize the layers of the structure parts.

Figure 3. Exploded drawing of the roof structure [1]

2. STRUCTUAL DESIGN

Figure 4. Global calculation model FA

To check the design, different stages need to be investigated. The global model is shown in
Figure 4. All layers from Figure 3 are considered and will provide a global approach to the system,
the mem-brane layer for the load application, the cables for stiffening the edge girder, the edge
girder itself with their global stiffness as well as the foundations including the two tension bars.
After the global de-sign, local stress checks for each part of the structure need to be revised. The
membrane is checked in a local model between couples of cable knots. The forces in the cables are
immediately checked but need to be separated for the load case self-load to adjust the pre-stressing
forces. The edge girder can be proved for global stresses within the global model. Nevertheless, the
plates with compression stresses need to be verified for local buckling. This can be performed

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using codes like DIN EN 1993-1-5 [3]. Additionally, to the code verification the curvature of the
plates is taking into account. Two separate approaches were used. One approach used the criteria
of the stress increasing due to the geometry. When noted a stress raise over 10% second order
forces were considered. This will lead at certain point to thicker plates within the cross section or
additional stiffeners. The second method which was used was the calculation formulas from ship
building codes [4]. This approach was successfully used in the project Porsche Pavilion [5]. The
connection between the edge girder and the foundation has to be checked separate due to the
concentrated load input.

3. CONSTRUCTION

In Figure 5 the edge girder with three-sample cross section is given. Every single section is
individual and illustrates clearly the challenges in the design as wells as the assembly in the factory
and at the construction site. At every point along the spline line, a different cross section is found.
This gives the edge girder from the outside a smooth view but lead to quiet challenging assembly.

Figure 5. Geometry of edge girder (CC) [1]

One centerpiece of the structure is the cable crossing points. In Figure 6, the different parts
are shown. Five parts of plates will form the cable knot. The upper part for the membrane and the
lower part will hold up the cables. Bolts from the bottom and the top will provide the clamping.
The upper part will provide the clamping of the membrane, which will be reinforced at the
clamping pints. In the design of the Feuerstein Arena (FA) the edge girder was keep a little simpler
by only using 4 coat plates. Nevertheless, the geometry still remains complex due to the curvature.
The welding expense is reduced as well as the heat input that will cause additional residual
stresses. The cable crossing points were also simplified. As noted there are only four parts that will
form the knot.

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Figure 6. Workshop planning of net node (CC) [1]

4. ERECTION IN THE WORKSHOP

4.1. AUTOSTADT WOLFSBURG

The manufacturing process at the workshop demands a precise sequencing Figure 7, left.
The plates were cold formed by semi-automatic pressing with and without a large stamp [6]. The
cold forming process will allow even higher yield strength of the plate. The disadvantage is the
decreased ductility. Due to the small deformation of the structure this will not be significant. To be
able to continue the cold forming proceeding, the material parameters for the steel S355 according
to EN 10025 2 [7] and CEN/TR 10347 [8] have to meet the code requirements. To weld the
sections to a segment a workshop assembly joint is necessary (Figure 7, middle). The joint will be
performed with a butt weld with a sequence that limed the shrinkage of the parts. Also noted is the
treatment of the weld after welding. The weld edges were grounded off so that the actual weld was
not visible. This was an architectural demand to have no transitions on the outer sur-face of the
edge girder. One of the finished segments of the high point is shown in Figure 7 right, where the
weld at the outer surface cannot be recognized anymore. This was an immense expense in the
whole manufacturing after welding and before applying corrosion protection to the coating plates.

Figure 7. left: Cold forming [6] middle: Assembly joint at the workshop, right: Assembled girder

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4.2. FEUERSTEIN ARENA

The difference in the manufacturing was the production of the double curved coating plates.
The plates were hot formed with heat lines similar to flame straightening. This will require some
experience in the forming process but also requires a lot of work to remove the line before
applying the corrosion protection. During the heat input, it is necessary that the material is not
damaged. The principle is shown in Figure 8, left. For the double curved coating plates, the heat
lines needed to by with different angles to get the final shape (Figure 8, right).

Figure 8. left: Principle of plate manufacturing, right: Hot formed coating plates

5. ASSEMBLY ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE

5.1. AUTOSTADT WOLFSBURG

The manufacturing at the workshop was complex and this continued on the site.
Additionally, a sub-structure for the erection was necessary. Six total columns supported the edge
girder Figure 9, left. On top of the supporting structure a tent secured the welding working unit
from weather conditions. For further information on welding under difficult conditions such as low
temperatures and wind see [9]. In Figure 9, right the inside of the tent with the assembly joint is
shown. The small orthogonal plate will guide the shrinkage of the segment in place. A precise
welding sequence will allow leaving the cross section as flexible as possible to avoid large residual
stresses and deformations. In this case the vertical butt weld was closed first while leaving the top
open to adjust. Later at the middle butt weld will be performed while finishing with the fillet weld.

Figure 9. left: Erection of the edge girder on supports with cable system lay out, right: Assembly
joint, welding in a tent

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Later the cable net was installed with the help of load jacks.

5.2. FEUERSTEIN ARENA

The first steel section on the finished blunt is put in-to its final position (Figure 10, left). For
the SA a different assembly approach will be followed. Due to its symmetry the edge girder can be
manufactured at the site. The estimated axial deformation will be within 5 to 6mm. Those absolute
limits have to be taken very carefully because there are determined at low alloy steels and within
orthogonal geometries. However, with the segments of the structure, predictions will be compared
for the spline geometries after welding for assembly joint like in Figure 11, right. Since high
residual stresses in the welds due to obstruction of weld shrinkage can lead to root crack and
asymmetric shrinkage would have caused a shift in geometry, each joint was welded according to a
specified welding sequence - starting with the joints directly above the support. After the shrinkage
of the first assembly joint had been completed (1 - Figure 10, right) and the geometry of the
finished welded edge sup-port section was checked by control measurements, then the welding of
the next higher assembly joint (2) could be performed. In the respective last weld joint of each side
(3a) of the summed shrinkages were then balanced out.

Figure 10. left: Beginning of the erection of edge girder, right: Sequence for on-site welding

For the final segments at the high points the plates of the girder need to be levelled to avoid
fitting in-accuracies. For the prediction of the transverse shrinkage will be estimated according to
[9], Figure 12, left.

Figure 11. left: Transverse shrinkage of butt welds, right: Assembly joint FA
Finally, the cable net was stretched with the help of increasingly filled water bags.

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6. CONCLUSION

The available materials and design and construction methods enable future‐oriented light
buildings. In the Autostadt in Wolfsburg respectively in the Harz Mountains in Schierke is a
membrane covered cable net roof, which although standing only on two points span over 1600sqm
resp. 2300sqm. Especially worth mentioning is the little material expenditure and thus sustainable
design.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Client: Autostadt, Wolfsburg (CC), Stadt Wernigerode (FA)

Architect: GRAFT, Berlin (both)
Design: Prof. M. Schlaich, sbp, Berlin (both)
Steel Eiffel Deutschland Stahltechnologie GmbH, Hannover (CC)
Zeman & Co. GmbH, Wien, Austria, & Zekon, Ruda Śląska, Poland
(FA)
Membrane Taiyo Europe GmbH, Munich (both)
Verification: Prof. H. Pasternak (ipp), Braunschweig (both)

LITERATURE

[1] Schlaich, M.; Behnke, R., “Self-anchored cable nets –a lightweight roof at the Autostadt in
Wolfsburg” (in German), Bauingenieur 89, No. 6, pp. 235-245, 2014, Germany
[2] M. Zebinger, M. Gierat, H. Pasternak, T. Krausche: “The cable net of Schierker Feuerstein Arena at
the Harz mountain range Part 2: Manufacturing, assembly and welding simulation” (in German)
Bauingenieur 93 pp 383-391, 2018
[3] EN 1993-1-5: Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures - Part 1-5: Plated structural elements ship
building code, England
[4] Germanischer Lloyd, GL 2011
[5] Pasternak, H.; Krausche, T.: The Porsche Pavillon in the Autostadt Wolfsburg. 13th International
Scientific Conference VSU 2013, Sofia, Bulgaria Vol. II, pp. 1-6
[6] http://www.ostseestaal.de
[7] EN 10025-2: Hot rolled products of structural steels - Part 2: Technical delivery conditions for non-
alloy structural steels, England
[8] CEN/TR 10347: Guidance for forming of structural steels in processing, England
[9] Pasternak, H.; Krausche, T.; Launert, B.: Welded construction site joints in bridges. Steel Bridges:
Innovation & New Challenges, 8th International Symposium on Steel Bridges, Istanbul, Turkey 2015,
pp. 315-320, ISBN: 978-605-65900-2-3

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