# Inflatable building

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{{refimprove|date=October 2012}}

[[Image:Inflatable Building.jpg|thumb|The [Spirit of Dubai](/source/Airship_Industries_Skyship_600) inflatable building]]
An '''inflatable building''' is a [structure](/source/structure) constructed using two layers of [membrane](/source/Tensile_structure) connected together, typically using [spars](/source/Spar_(aeronautics)) made from the same material. The cavity formed between the layers is pressurized with [air](/source/air) producing a rigid structural element which allows large span structures to be achieved. 

The key difference between [air-supported buildings](/source/air-supported_structure) and inflatable buildings is that air-supported buildings require [airlock](/source/airlock)s at all the access points to prevent air being lost when doors are opened since the entire occupied space of the building is [pressurized](/source/pressurized), whereas inflatable buildings do not require airlocks.

Inflatable buildings like this commonly serve sports, such as tennis and indoor golf.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==Structure==
An inflatable building only requires pressurized air within the cavities of the walls and so does not require airlocks since the occupied interior of the building is at normal [atmospheric pressure](/source/atmospheric_pressure).[[File:Inflatable shelter water removal.jpg|thumb|Interior of an inflatable structure with the pressurized [supports](/source/Structural_support) visible along the walls and ceiling]]The air contained within the walls of an inflatable building becomes a true structural part of the building. The membranes used in the construction of such buildings are typically less than 1mm thick, so the amount of membrane used compared to the volume of air contained within the walls is very low (typically less than 0.5%). This makes inflatable buildings efficient in terms of the amount of [raw materials](/source/Raw_material) required to construct them.

The small amount of material used in the construction of inflatable buildings makes them highly portable. When a building needs to be moved, the air can simply be allowed to escape, enabling an entire building to be packed into a small volume compared to its inflated size. The building can then be transported easily to its new location and re-inflated.

== Uses ==
Inflatable structures and inflatable buildings can be used in many ways, including: membrane [roofs and covers](/source/roof), [sail](/source/sail)s, buildings and [pavilion](/source/pavilion)s, [airship](/source/airship)s, [furniture](/source/furniture), airspace structures, [boat](/source/boat)s, [escape slide](/source/escape_slide)s, security mattresses, [swimming pool](/source/swimming_pool)s, coverings, [game](/source/game)s and [castle](/source/castle)s, [air bag](/source/air_bag)s and many other applications. Examples of inflatable buildings include an inflatable church and an inflatable pub.<ref name="BBC News 13 May 2003">{{cite web | title= Blow-up church goes on show | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3022825.stm | author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | date= 13 May 2003 | website= [BBC News Online](/source/BBC_News_Online) | access-date= 27 July 2015 | archive-date= 8 June 2004 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040608035221/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3022825.stm | url-status= dead }}</ref><ref name="The Guardian 14 August 2008">{{cite news | title= Inflatable church brings God to Italian beachgoers| url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/14/italy.religion| last= Percival| first= Jenny| date= 14 August 2008 | newspaper= [The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)| location= London | access-date= 27 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="LoveBelfast">{{cite web | title= Own Your Own Pub – Ireland's Inflatable Pub Company | url= http://lovebelfast.co.uk/2015/01/16/cant-go-out-to-the-pub-how-about-bringing-to-pub-to-you-the-inflatable-pub/ | author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | date= 16 January 2015 | website= lovebelfast.co.uk/ | access-date= 27 July 2015 | archive-date= 5 August 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150805095602/http://lovebelfast.co.uk/2015/01/16/cant-go-out-to-the-pub-how-about-bringing-to-pub-to-you-the-inflatable-pub/ | url-status= dead }}</ref>

==See also==
* [List of inflatable manufactured goods](/source/List_of_inflatable_manufactured_goods)

==References==
<references>

Inflatable Pub Company

</references>

==External links==
* {{Commons cat inline|Inflatable buildings}}

Category:Building types
Category:Inflatable manufactured goods
Category:Portable buildings and shelters

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Inflatable building](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflatable_building) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflatable_building?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.