China’s Largest Multi‑Angle Irregular Foundation Pit Air Dome

2026-08-21

Recently, a foundation pit air-supported membrane in Huangpu District, Guangzhou, was officially put into use. The air-supported membrane structure has a projected area of 14,200 square meters, a length of over 190 meters, a maximum width of 93 meters, and a maximum height of 30 meters. This is not only the largest foundation pit air dome in Guangzhou, but also the largest multi-angled, irregularly shaped foundation pit air-supported membrane in China, marking a significant breakthrough in China's green and intelligent urban construction technology.

According to Science and Technology Daily, this foundation pit air dome employs a three-fold irregular polygonal curved surface structure to conform to its irregular edges. To address the challenges of uneven stress distribution in the membrane structure and cable net in multi-angled areas, denser steel cables and zoned tensioning were employed to ensure uniform stress distribution and safety of the overall structure. The air dome structures is designed to withstand level 14 winds, with a basic wind pressure of 1.08 kN/m², which is the standard for withstanding super typhoons.

Furthermore, this foundation pit air-supported membrane project has achieved innovative cost reduction and efficiency improvement. The "integrated foundation and capping beam rebar anchoring technology" eliminates the need for separate concrete base pouring. Instead, it directly injects anchoring adhesive into the existing capping beam through drilling, thus fixing the inflatable membrane and saving materials and costs. In addition, the "steel cable bottom laying + mechanical membrane deployment" process changes the workflow, with steel cables laid at the bottom of the foundation pit and the air inflated structures deployed while excavating, saving time and speeding up the process.

According to on-site measurement data reported by the media, after the construction site air dome was put into use, the noise reduction efficiency was greater than 60% and the dust suppression rate was greater than 90%, which greatly solved the problem of noise pollution caused by urban construction. It provides a replicable green construction model for high-density urban areas and promotes the transformation of the construction industry towards high efficiency and green practices.

Source：Science and Technology Daily (China)