All the latest information from the textile world

Textiles paved the way for architecture

A revolution is currently under way in the construction sector. The requirements placed on the shapes, properties and potential of today's buildings are becoming ever more stringent, and can frequently be fulfilled with innovations from the textile industry. Thanks to textiles and entirely new fibers, the classic construction materials wood, stone, concrete and steel can be ideally reinforced – in order to realize building projects that would have been unfeasible only a few years ago because the materials needed for their construction did not yet exist.

Fiber technology is revolutionizing construction

extile construction has picked up a great deal of speed over the past few decades, and this is largely due to fiber technology. Since time immemorial, the tent has been a means of protection from the weather, yet the limits to this kind of protection have always been set by the availability of long-lasting fibers for fabrics or nonwovens. Plant or wool fibers are not resistant enough against tensile forces or the effects of weather, and cannot be used to make long-lasting structures. Low water resistance and also sensitivity to natural ultraviolet radiation also pose additional problems here.

The balance between the structural strength and the weight of a fiber has always imposed a natural limit on textile construction potential: after all, pitching a tent requires enough sturdy poles and taut lines. To design large tents made from natural fiber to be secure enough for securing with ropes, the strength of the fabric has to be reinforced – but this involves adding more weight and thus more of a load on the bearing construction.

Lightweight and more stable

It was only with the development of suitable synthetic fibers with higher tensile strength and lower weights that the construction of buildings with decisive textile elements first became a feasible prospect. Imposing constructions such as roofs made from high-tech membranes for football stadiums are common examples today. The service life of such membranes is still limited, however: They can resist the weather for around 30 years, but then they have to be replaced.

In recent years fabrics have played a major role in the construction sector, but recently the importance of nonwovens has also been increasing. So-called "durable nonwovens" are benefiting from the latest developments in fiber research. Islands-in-the-Sea fibers, processed mechanically via hydroentanglement, needling or a combination of the two, are given properties that make them ideal for use as, say, a tent material. This type of tent nonwoven is already being used by the military. As an alternative to fabric, nonwovens made from Islands-in-the-Sea fibers also have great potential in the lightweight construction of industrial halls.

Smart textiles are the future of architecture

The use of nonwovens as an insulation material or as sturdy and yet lightweight solutions for roofing applications is just one aspect of the huge potential of today's construction textiles. A further promising facet of textile construction is the use of so-called "smart textiles". Integrated conductive strips that react to light, mechanical load or moisture ingress open up all kinds of possibilities for the future. Safety aspects can be taken as much into consideration here as comfort requirements.

Here are some examples of common applications for nonwovens today in the textile construction sector: