Environmental Aspects of Inflatable Structures
Nobody can abdicate one´s environmental responsibility in our days. Neither the consumers, nor politicians, nor the industry. Especially when it comes to the production and usage of mobile buildings the saving of energy and resources is extremely important.
We are aware of the importance to use our resources and energy sparingly. Therefore we want to make a helpful contribution to an ecological balance by means of pneumocell in comparison to other systems of mobile architecture
To put it bluntly: A building-material where the production, usage and disposal is a benefit for nature does not exist. But we have the possibility and the moral responsibility to spare resources and energy, produce as little waste as possible and make our waste non-toxic. So that nature only will be polluted in an impact that lies within its capabilities of regeneration.
Pneumocell-advantage no.1: minimal mass
A double-wall Pneumocell structure has approximately one four-hundredth of the mass of a brick-and-concrete building of the same size, about one-fortieth of the mass of a timber building, and only half the weight of a conventional single-membrane tent.
The exceptionally low mass of Pneumocell not only reduces the amount of material required for production but also provides major environmental and economic advantages wherever structures are transported repeatedly, such as mobile exhibition stands, event buildings or temporary installations.
As an example, consider a Pneumocell dome with a diameter of 10 m and a height of 6 m, transported and erected 20 times per year for exhibitions and events.
The annual transportation of this dome results in approximately 520 kg of CO₂ emissions.
Transporting a timber structure of the same size, but approximately 40 times heavier, would generate around 20,800 kg of CO₂ under identical conditions.
Even a conventional tent weighs roughly twice as much as a Pneumocell structure and therefore causes approximately twice the transport-related emissions.
However, this comparison still underestimates the practical advantages of Pneumocell. Conventional tents generally require a rigid aluminium frame that cannot accommodate uneven ground without deformation. As a result, a heavy floor platform is often needed to create a level foundation, substantially increasing transport weight.
Large tents also frequently require scaffolding or cranes for assembly.
Consequently, the apparent weight advantage of conventional tents is often far smaller in practice than the membrane weight alone would suggest.
Pneumocell- advantage no.2: Material
The structural frames of conventional tents are typically made from aluminium, whose production requires large amounts of energy. The membrane material used for most traditional tents is PVC-coated fabric.
Pneumocell elements are manufactured from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), a material that is fully recyclable. Unlike PVC, TPU burns cleanly without leaving harmful residues and without releasing chlorine-containing combustion products. It contains neither plasticizers nor chlorine, substances commonly associated with many conventional flexible plastics and often responsible for the characteristic “plastic” odour.
Even wood, although a renewable natural building material, is rarely used in its pure form. Plywood, particleboard and similar engineered wood products are bonded with synthetic resins and often contain formaldehyde-based adhesives. Paints, coatings and wood preservatives may further reduce their environmental compatibility and can complicate recycling or disposal at the end of their service life.
Many exhibition stands are used only once and are disposed of immediately after the event. This is often because they cannot be dismantled without destroying structural components, or because they have been designed specifically for a single application and cannot easily be reused.
Pneumocell follows a different approach. The same Pneumocell elements can be assembled and reassembled repeatedly to create entirely different structures and can easily be adapted to new requirements and locations.
Unlike conventional exhibition stands, the value of a Pneumocell structure is not tied to a single design. The same elements can be reconfigured again and again to create entirely new structures.
This modular reusability significantly extends the service life of the individual components while reducing the need for new materials. As a result, fewer resources are required for production, transportation and disposal, benefiting both the user and the environment.