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001086
2016-12-20

"Gulliver" Wooden Airship Above DOX Center in Prague, Czech Republic

At the beginning of December 2016, a giant wooden airship “suspended” above the Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, Czech Republic, opened to the public.

“Gulliver”, a unique timber and steel airship structure, will serve as space for literary events.

"Gulliver" Wooden Airship Above DOX Center in Prague, Czech Republic
1242x
Zeppelin Structure Made of Timber and Steel

Structure

The supporting framework of the airship consists of 14 trussed arches, which are transversely spaced 2.2 m – 3 m (7.2 ft – 9.8 ft) apart. The arches are connected to each other by lateral and secondary elements that converge at the top in a steel ring. The structural components are made of larch wood, hot‑dip galvanized elements, and stainless-steel and hot‑dip galvanized fasteners.

The framework includes steel cables that ensure the overall spatial stability. The timber frame is encased in larch wood lamellas and is protected against the weather by a membrane structure in the upper half of the structure. Thus, the membrane structure consisting of ETFE foil creates something like an umbrella above the entire airship structure.

The airship's timber structure is anchored to an inclined steel supporting structure at the appropriate height, which serves as the supporting foundation for the timber floor inside the airship. The structure is supported by two steel truss columns located along the walls of the buildings in the DOX Center's yard. The columns were placed on newly constructed pile foundations. A spar and cables in the horizontal direction stabilize the cantilevered part of the steel supporting structure, which extends beyond the building walls. The airship can be accessed by two side staircases made of steel.

The basic airship body is supplemented by a gondola, which can be accessed from the interior using a steel ladder. The airship includes audiovisual and lighting equipment. Due to the installed infrared heating panels, the airship can be visited all year long.

The total construction area is 322 m² (3,466 ft²), the accessible interior area is 161 m (1,733 ft²), and the space enclosed by the construction is 2,050 m³ (72,395 ft³).

Structural Engineering Ing. Zbyněk Šrůtek (Timber, Steel, Membrane)
Česká Skalice, Czech Republic
www.timberdesign.cz

Ing. Pavel Kocourek (Steel)
Ing. Jana Divíšková (Foundation)
Prague, Czech Republic
Concept Design Leoš Válka
Prague, Czech Republic
Architects Prof. Ing. arch. Martin Rajniš
MgA. David Kubík
Prague, Czech Republic
hutarchitektury.cz
General Contractor STYLBAU, s.r.o.
Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
www.stylbau.cz
Subcontractors Timber Structure
TIMBER DESIGN s.r.o.
Česká Skalice, Czech Republic
www.timberdesign.cz

Steel Structure
ELEKTRO MOSEV spol. s r.o.
Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
www.elektromosev.cz
Investor DOX Center for Contemporary Art
Prague, Czech Republic
www.dox.cz

Project Specifications

Model Data

Number of Nodes 4375
Number of Lines 12038
Number of Members 11492
Number of Load Cases 21
Number of Load Combinations 976
Number of Result Combinations 1
Total Weight 49.169 tons
Dimensions (Metric) 39.386 x 51.625 x 25.205 m
Dimensions (Imperial) 129.22 x 169.37 x 82.69 feet
Program Version 5.23.01

Do you have any questions?

Videos
Models to Download
Knowledge Base Articles
Basic Shapes of Membrane Structures [1]
This paper is focused on the specific aspects of designing membrane structures that have specific requirements, such as form-finding and cutting pattern generation. An integral part of the design of these structures is the process of finding suitable prestressed shapes and generating cutting patterns. The text briefly describes two basic processes in the design of membrane structures. The physical principles are explained and the individual theses illustrated by examples.
KB 001879 | Influence of Bending Stiffness of Cables
This article describes and explains the influence of bending stiffness of cables on their internal forces. Furthermore, the text provides information on how this influence can be reduced.
KB 001848 | Timber Column Design as per 2018 NDS Standard in RFEM 6
Using the Timber Design add-on, timber column design is possible according to the 2018 NDS standard ASD method. Accurately calculating timber member compressive capacity and adjustment factors is important for safety considerations and design. The following article will verify the maximum critical buckling strength calculated by the Timber Design add-on using step-by-step analytical equations as per the NDS 2018 standard including the compressive adjustment factors, adjusted compressive design value, and final design ratio.
Windbreak Porous Fabric Structure in RFEM & RWIND
Windbreak structures are special types of fabric structures which protect the environment from harmful chemical particles, abate wind erosion, and help to maintain valuable sources. RFEM and RWIND are used for wind-structure analysis as one-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI). This article demonstrates how to structural design windbreak structures using RFEM and RWIND.
Screenshots
Product Features
Feature 002423 | Displaying Results in Solids

The results of solid stresses can be displayed as colored 3D points in the finite elements.

Improved Calculation Performance by Optimized Consideration of Nodal Degrees of Freedom in RFEM

The number of degrees of freedom in a node is no longer a global calculation parameter in RFEM (6 degrees of freedom for each mesh node in 3D models, 7 degrees of freedom for the warping torsion analysis). Thus, each node is generally considered with a different number of degrees of freedom, which leads to a variable number of equations in the calculation.

This modification speeds up the calculation, especially for models where a significant reduction of the system could be achieved (for example, trusses and membrane structures).

Extended Display of Surface Strains

Display extended strains of members, surfaces, and solids (for example, the important principal strains, equivalent total strains, and so on) in the Project Navigator - Results in RFEM as well as in Table 4.0.

For example, you can display governing plastic strains when performing the plastic design of connections with surface elements.

Export RFEM or RSTAB Models to *.glb or *.glTF Format

RFEM and RSTAB models can be saved as 3D glTF models (*.glb and *.glTF formats). View the models in 3D in detail with a 3D viewer from Google or Babylon. Take your VR glasses, such as Oculus, to "walk" through the structure.

You can integrate the 3D glTF models into your own websites using JavaScript according to the instructions (as on the Dlubal website Models to Download): "Easily display interactive 3D models on the web & in AR" .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Where can I find the update reports for RFEM 5, RSTAB 8, SHAPE-THIN, SHAPE-MASSIVE, RX-TIMBER, CRANEWAY, PLATE-BUCKLING, COMPOSITE-BEAM?

For my NVIDIA graphics card, I need to select between a driver from the "Production Branch" and a "New Feature Branch." Which driver is best suited for RFEM/RSTAB?
Is it possible to quickly evaluate whether the mesh used is fine enough?
Why do the min/max values of the total displacement not match the deformations when working with result combinations?

Why do I get an error message about invalid material when defining timber surfaces?
Does RFEM 5 include a surface contact?
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