The Effect of wastage proportion of the cutting patterns of the membrane systems to determination of their structural forms

Tension Membrane structures known as high technological structures have been used bynomadic people many years. The round tents of Middle East, ?yurt? of Afghans, nomadictents, black tents of Anatolia, conic American Indian tents and shades called ?Vela? in RomanPeriod are first membrane examples. Nowadays by the development of computer industry it ispossible to desing and analyze complex and attractive structures.In design process of membrane structures, the most important step, cutting pattern, is verytime consuming. Due to the certain dimensions that membrane textiles are produced, there arelots of wastage during cutting pattern. The aim of this study is to discuss designing process oftensile membrane structures related to wastage ratio. Area equations of tent material are basedon mathematics and geometry.Definition of membrane structures, historical view, structural system and material properties,designing process was investigated in this study. Economical solutions are produced todetermine the area of material to be used and wastage ratio related to the total surface area fora proper desing, proposal and production of membrane structures.In order to study the known surfaces, the mathematical ratio between the surface dimensionsidentifying the form are used in area formulation.Key words: Membrane, wastage, cutting pattern.