Fabric Membrane Structure Manufacturer
Tensioned architectural-membrane roofs and building envelopes — the membrane spans and encloses, form-found into a doubly-curved surface on a steel frame, in PVC, PVDF, PTFE or ETFE. Designed, fabricated and installed by Ekra Decor since 1998.
- Membrane roofs and building envelopes
- Form-found, pre-stressed surfaces
- PVC, PVDF, PTFE & ETFE
- Engineered to IS 875, IS 800 & IS 456
Engineering Trusted by India’s Leading Names
28+ years delivering tensile structures for corporate campuses, industrial groups, and institutional developments — built with fabric technology from the world’s leading membrane manufacturers.
TATA Motors
L&T
Reliance
Adani
Mahindra
Godrej
DLF
ITC Ltd
Maruti Suzuki
GMR Group
JSW Steel
Prestige Group
Sobha
Siemens
Tata Chemicals
Tata Tele Business Services
Power Grid Corporation
Emaar MGF
National Law University Delhi
UPES Dehradun
Vasant Valley School
Aditya Birla Group
Amity University
Vikram Solar
Tractors India
Mazda Colours
Millennium Structurals
Sehwag International School
BSBK Pvt. Ltd.
17 Miles Hotel
Rich Harvest School
The Imperial New Delhi
Moore Constructions
Mehra Construction
Ramprastha
Minda NexGenTech (UNO Minda)
Yashmay Public School
Gyan Mandir Foundation
Omega Developers
SPEC
Serge Ferrari
Mehler
Heytex
Versaid
Pait
What the fabric actually does in a fabric membrane structure
In a fabric membrane structure the fabric is the structure, not a covering hung from one. It carries the roof loads in tension and passes them to the edge cables, then to the steel, then to the foundations. That is why the fabric specification matters as much as the steel.
Warp, weft and why direction matters
A coated fabric is a woven base cloth — polyester or glass yarns — sealed in a polymer coating. It is stiffer and stronger along the warp (the loom direction) than across the weft. The structural engineer aligns the panels so the stronger direction runs the way the main loads act, and the patterning accounts for the two directions stretching by different amounts.
The properties that get specified
- Tensile strength — the load per metre the fabric can carry, tested to ISO 1421. The working stress is kept well below this, with a factor of safety of about 1:5 to 1:7.
- Tear strength — resistance to a small cut spreading, tested to ISO 4674. This governs behaviour around fixings and any accidental damage.
- Coating adhesion — how well the polymer stays bonded to the weave (ISO 2411). Poor adhesion leads to delamination and leaks.
- Weld-seam strength — the joints are high-frequency welded, not stitched; a good seam is as strong as the parent fabric.
How loads travel
Rain and wind press on the membrane. The membrane tension gathers into the boundary — either a rope edge in a cable pocket or a bolted clamp line — and from there into the corner castings, the masts and arches, and finally the footings, which are usually checked for uplift rather than downward load because the whole structure is so light.
Creep and long-term behaviour
Coated fabrics relax slightly over the first months under sustained tension. Ekra Decor allows for this in the pre-stress so the membrane stays taut over its service life, and larger structures are designed to be re-tensioned if needed.
More on the fabrics themselves is on our fabric materials, PTFE and PVC pages; the engineering side is covered under tensile membrane structures. Contact us with your requirement for a specification.
The fabric membrane, in brief
A fabric membrane structure uses a tensioned architectural fabric as the load-carrying surface — for a roof, or for the whole envelope of a building.
The membrane spans
A pre-stressed coated fabric carries the load across the space — it is the structure, not a lining.
Doubly curved
Curving both ways at once pre-stresses the fabric so it stays taut and drains without ponding.
Form-found
The equilibrium shape is solved by software and unrolled into cutting patterns.
Roof or envelope
The same membrane can be a roof over an open space or the full weatherskin of an enclosed fabric building.
This page covers the topic in brief. For the full technical reference — how tensile structures work, all the types, form-finding, membrane materials, design codes and construction process — see the tensile structure guide.
What is specified
A membrane structure is specified by its form, its membrane and its cable and steel system, all from the form-finding and load analysis.
| Element | Options |
|---|---|
| Use | An open roof, or the full roof-and-wall envelope of an enclosed fabric building |
| Form | Conical, hypar, barrel vault, ridge-and-valley, dome, or free-form |
| Membrane | PVC-coated polyester, PVDF-lacquered PVC, PTFE-coated glass, or ETFE film / cushions |
| Frame | Masts, arches or portal frames in galvanised steel, designed to IS 800 |
| Insulation | A single membrane is not insulated; a lined or double-skin system is used where thermal performance matters |
| Foundations | Designed to IS 456, sized for uplift and overturning |
| Scope | Form-finding, structural design, fabrication, installation and tensioning — one in-house team |
Membrane figures — life, translucency, fire class — are manufacturer values for the material type; see the membrane materials page.
Membrane options
The membrane is chosen for the project — PVC or PVDF for most work, PTFE-glass for permanence or a fire class, ETFE for maximum daylight. See the membrane materials page.
PVC-coated polyester
The most economical choice and the widest colour range; blocks the rain, hail and almost all UV. PVC fabric →
PVDF-lacquered PVC
The same base with a tougher top-coat that stays cleaner under dust and pollution. PVDF fabric →
PTFE-coated glass
Non-combustible and near self-cleaning, with the longest service life. PTFE fabric →
A full comparison of the fabrics — translucency, fire class, typical life — is on the membrane materials page.
How it is engineered and built
The governing load
A tensile structure weighs almost nothing, so wind uplift is the governing load. The membrane is form-found into double curvature so it stays taut, and the frame and foundations are sized for the site’s design wind pressure under IS 875 Part 3.
Steel & foundations to code
The frame is designed to IS 800 and the footings to IS 456, checked for uplift and overturning. Galvanising to IS 4759 / IS 2629 for corrosion protection.
Built off-site, raised fast
Steel is cut, welded and galvanised in the workshop and the membrane is cut and welded into panels, while the footings are cast on site. On-site work is then quick and low-disruption.
One accountable team
Survey, 3D design, fabrication, installation and tensioning are all Ekra Decor’s own team, with a handover pack of drawings, load report, stability certificate and material certificates.
What drives the cost
Cost is not a fixed rate per square foot — two structures of the same size can differ widely. The main factors:
A membrane structure is priced from its own design. Send the brief and the site for a concept and an itemised quote; see the cost guide.
Looking after the structure
- Cleaning — a periodic wash; PVDF and PTFE surfaces largely self-clean in rain.
- Membrane & seams — check for abrasion, coating wear and seam lifting at the corners.
- Cable tension — a first re-tension after the initial season, then a periodic check.
- Steel & connections — inspect the galvanising and the connections at ground level.
- Drainage — clear the gutters, valleys and outlets before the monsoon.
Fabric membrane structures we’ve built
Each project is documented with site photographs and recorded scope.
Retail · Courtyard roofVasant Square MallVasant Kunj, New Delhi
Industrial · Single-span roofDesai ConstructionValsad, Gujarat
Transit · Walkway canopyIGI Airport, Terminal 2New Delhi
Industrial · Store-shed roofVikram SolarKolkata, West Bengal
Public · Courtyard shadeHazratbal DargahSrinagar, J&K
Public · Atrium skylightsGuwahati Tensile StructureGuwahati, Assam
Fabric membrane structure FAQ
The questions people ask about architectural-membrane roofs and envelopes.
A structure whose load-carrying surface is a pre-stressed architectural fabric — used as a roof over an open space, or as the full weatherskin of an enclosed fabric building.
Yes — the terms are used interchangeably for a pre-stressed architectural-fabric structure.
Yes. The same membrane technology forms the roof and walls of an enclosed fabric building — see fabric building structures.
No. A single skin is a weatherskin, not an insulated envelope. Where thermal performance matters, a lined or double-skin system with an air gap or insulation quilt is used.
PVC or PVDF for most projects, PTFE-coated glass for permanence and fire class, ETFE film or cushions where daylight is the priority.
The membrane is form-found, then loaded with dead, pre-stress, wind, rain and any snow or seismic case; the steel and foundations are designed to IS 800 and IS 456, with wind to IS 875 Part 3.
There is no rate card — it is priced from its own design. Send the brief and the site for a concept and an itemised quote.
Send us the brief and the site
You get a form-finding direction, a membrane recommendation and an itemised quote.
Let’s Build Your Structure
Speak directly with our structural engineering team to discuss your project dimensions, material options, or to schedule a free on-site technical inspection across India.
Direct Phone & WhatsApp Hotlines
+91 98102 37952 (Delhi HQ) / +91 93159 45187 (Bangalore) / +91 82879 92289 (Engineering)
Official Email Address
Delhi Factory & Administrative HQ
No. 367 Badam Singh Market, Rangpuri, Near Shiv Murti, NH-8, New Delhi 110037
Bangalore Regional Office
93/5, Kada Agrahara Village, Dodda Gubbi Post, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560077, India
Chattarpur Office
House No. 488, 3rd Floor, Khasra No. 60, 100 Futa Road, Opposite Delhi Jal Board, Near Diwan Bajaj Showroom, Chattarpur Pahari, New Delhi - 110074, India
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