Tensile Fabric Structure Manufacturer
Architectural-fabric structures for every setting — car parks, walkways, courtyards, sports venues, hospitality and public spaces — a tensioned coated fabric on a galvanised steel frame, designed, fabricated and installed by one in-house team since 1998.
- Canopies, roofs, shades & pavilions
- PVC, PVDF & PTFE architectural fabric
- In-house design to installation
- 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 makes a tensile fabric structure different
A tensile fabric structure replaces a rigid roof deck with an engineered coated fabric held in tension. There is no purlin, no sheeting and no bending — the membrane itself spans the gap, kept rigid by a calculated pre-stress applied when it is installed. Because the fabric works only in tension, the roof is shaped as a doubly-curved surface: it curves up in one direction and down in the other, so one curvature carries downward load and the opposite curvature holds against wind uplift.
Why the fabric form matters
That curvature is not decorative. A flat fabric would flap, pond water and tear at its fixings. The anticlastic, or saddle, geometry is what gives a fabric roof its stiffness and its ability to shed rain and resist gusts. Ekra Decor form-finds every canopy in ixCube and ANSYS before fabrication — the software solves for the exact shape in which fabric stresses are even, then unrolls that 3D surface into flat panels for cutting and high-frequency welding.
Weight and span
A coated-fabric roof weighs roughly 1–2 kg/m², against 10–25 kg/m² for profiled metal sheeting on purlins and far more for RCC. A lighter roof load means lighter supporting steel, smaller foundations and, for the same budget, longer column-free spans. Fabrication happens off-site in parallel with the civil work, so the installed programme stays short.
The fabric options
- PVC-coated polyester — the standard architectural fabric: economical, weldable, a wide colour range and a 15–20 year service life. A PVDF lacquer adds a self-cleaning, longer-life surface.
- PTFE-coated glass fibre — the premium choice: non-combustible, very low maintenance, a 30-year-plus life and a white finish that stays white. Used where fire rating and longevity justify the cost.
- ETFE film — a transparent polymer, single-layer or air-filled cushions, for daylight-critical roofs and facades.
- HDPE knitted mesh — for shade-only structures where rain protection is not needed: higher openness, lower cost.
Where tensile fabric structures are used
Building entrances and atria, covered walkways, car and two-wheeler parking, stadium and school seating cover, auditorium and banquet roofs, petrol-pump forecourts, industrial storage, resort landscaping and residential courtyards. Our project gallery has completed examples of each.
Choosing a fabric for your project
The choice comes down to required life, fire performance, span, light transmission and budget. Send your site details and intended use and Ekra Decor's engineers will recommend a fabric and a form with an itemised quote — the cost guide has the typical ranges.
Tensile fabric structure types
“Tensile fabric structure” is the umbrella term. Ekra Decor builds every type — each has its own page:
Car-park & forecourt canopies
Column-free cantilevers over parking — car parking tensile shades.
Walkway canopies
Continuous covered pedestrian routes — walkway tensile structures.
Gazebos & pavilions
Conical and hypar garden and event structures — gazebo tensile structures.
Courtyard & atrium roofs
Roofing an open court, daylit and column-free — tensile roofing structures.
Sports & auditorium roofs
Clear spans over courts, stands and halls — auditorium & stadium roofs.
Custom & free-form
One-off structures form-found to a site — custom fabric structures.
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
The specification depends on the type — a parking cantilever, a courtyard roof and a garden pavilion are all tensile fabric structures with different priorities.
| Element | Options |
|---|---|
| Form | Cantilever, conical, hypar, barrel vault, dome, sail, ridge-and-valley, or free-form |
| Membrane | PVC-coated polyester, PVDF-lacquered PVC, or PTFE-coated glass fibre |
| Frame | Galvanised steel; painted or stainless-detailed for exposed sites |
| Coverage | A single bay up to a large public space |
| Drainage | Off the form to defined low points; gutters where needed |
| Foundations | Isolated footings to IS 456, sized for wind uplift |
| Scope | Survey, 3D 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
Tensile fabric structures use PVC or PVDF for most work; PTFE-coated glass for permanence or a fire class.
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:
Cost depends on the type, the span and the membrane. Send your site for a design direction 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.
Tensile fabric 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
Tensile fabric structure FAQ
The questions people ask about architectural-fabric structures.
The umbrella term for any structure whose roof is a tensioned architectural fabric on a steel frame — a car-park canopy, a walkway, a gazebo, a courtyard roof, a stadium roof, a custom pavilion.
In practice, yes — both mean a pre-stressed architectural-fabric structure. “Membrane” emphasises the fabric as the load-carrying surface; “fabric structure” is the everyday term.
Canopies, roofs, shades, pavilions and free-form structures — over parking, walkways, courtyards, pools, sports areas, entrances, event spaces and public plazas.
PVC-coated polyester for most work, PVDF-lacquered PVC for a longer-lasting finish, and PTFE-coated glass fibre for a permanent, non-combustible structure.
Yes — it is on engineered foundations with a galvanised steel frame. The membrane is replaceable at end of life, typically after 15–20 years for PVC and longer for PVDF or PTFE.
There is no fixed rate. Cost depends on the type, the span, the height and the membrane. Send your site for an itemised quote.
The tensile structure guide covers how they work, all the types, form-finding, materials, design codes and the construction process.
Send us your site
You get a type recommendation, a design direction 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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