Hospital Membrane Structure Corridor Project in China

Project Background

This project is a membrane structure corridor for a county people’s hospital in China. The hospital needed a covered walkway between two buildings to support medical staff movement, patient transfer, and daily passage.

Compared with a traditional steel corridor, a membrane structure corridor has a lighter visual appearance and better integration with the surrounding hospital environment. For this project, Henan Jingtian Membrane Structure Engineering Co., Ltd. was responsible for the design, fabrication, and installation.

Project Challenges

This was an added structure project, not a new standalone building. The structural design, column layout, and corridor shape were all limited by the existing site conditions.

Main challenges included:

Limited space between existing buildings
Some areas could not allow new columns
Maximum span of about 25 meters
Most spans reaching about 17 meters without columns
Drainage requirements for the membrane surface
Need to coordinate with the existing building structure

The most difficult part was one span that had to cover the full width of an existing building, where no middle column could be installed for support.

Design Solution

Jingtian adopted a membrane structure corridor system combined with a pipe truss steel structure.

To solve the drainage issue, some transverse pipe trusses were designed as curved pipe trusses. This helped create a proper slope for the membrane surface and reduced the risk of water accumulation.

For the span where no column could be installed, Jingtian used the existing building beam as an intermediate support point. This created a combined load-bearing system using both columns and the building wall structure.

This solution solved the long-span support problem while keeping the original passage and building function unaffected.

Project Information

Project Name: County People’s Hospital Membrane Structure Corridor Project
Project Type: Hospital covered walkway / added membrane corridor
Project Size: About 130 meters long and 20 meters wide
Maximum Span: About 25 meters
Typical Span: About 17 meters without columns in most areas
Function: Medical transfer, pedestrian passage, sunshade, rain protection
Structure: Membrane structure + pipe truss steel frame
Service Scope: Design, fabrication, and installation
Completion Year: 2018

Fabrication

After the design was confirmed, the steel components were fabricated in Jingtian’s factory.

Main fabrication work included:

Pipe truss cutting and processing
Curved pipe truss fabrication
Steel structure welding and assembly
Connection reinforcement
Dimensional inspection
Anti-corrosion coating
Membrane processing
Component labeling and shipment

All components were inspected before delivery to support smooth on-site installation.

On-site Installation

The on-site installation was completed by Henan Jingtian.

As this was a hospital added corridor project, the construction process had to consider the existing buildings, passage space, and site safety. The main installation work included steel structure positioning, pipe truss lifting, connection fixing, membrane installation, and final alignment adjustment.

The project was completed successfully and met the hospital’s daily use requirements.

Long-term Performance

The corridor was completed in 2018 and has been in use for about 8 years.

At present, the membrane surface remains white, and the steel components show no obvious rust or paint peeling. The overall condition is stable and suitable for long-term use.

This project shows the practical value of membrane structure corridors in hospitals, building connections, and added public facility projects.

Project Highlights

Large membrane corridor about 130m long and 20m wide
Maximum span of about 25m
Most areas with about 17m column-free span
Curved pipe truss design for drainage
Combined load-bearing system using the existing building beam
Membrane surface remains white after 8 years
Steel components show no obvious rust or paint peeling
Suitable for hospitals, schools, industrial parks, and building connection projects

Overseas Service

Henan Jingtian supports overseas membrane corridor supply projects.

We can provide:

Membrane corridor design support
Steel structure detailing
Pipe truss fabrication
Membrane processing
Packing and shipment
Installation drawings and technical documents
Remote technical guidance

Overseas on-site installation service is not provided. Installation for overseas projects is completed by the client’s local contractor, with technical support from Jingtian.

English Q&A

Q1: Why are membrane structure corridors suitable for hospitals?

Hospital corridors need to support pedestrian passage, medical transfer, shade, and rain protection. A membrane structure corridor is visually lighter and fits well between hospital buildings.

Q2: What is the difference between a membrane corridor and a traditional steel corridor?

A membrane corridor has a lighter appearance and a softer architectural form. Traditional steel corridors are usually heavier in visual effect and more industrial in appearance.

Q3: What was the biggest challenge of this project?

The biggest challenge was that this was an added structure project. The existing buildings limited the column positions, while the corridor still required long-span support and proper drainage.

Q4: What is the maximum span of this corridor?

The maximum span is about 25 meters. Most areas have about 17 meters of column-free span.

Q5: Why were curved pipe trusses used?

Curved pipe trusses helped create a proper drainage slope for the membrane surface and reduced the risk of water accumulation.

Q6: How was the load-bearing problem solved where columns could not be installed?

Jingtian used the existing building beam as an intermediate support point, creating a combined load-bearing system with columns and the building wall structure.

Q7: How is the project condition after 8 years of use?

The corridor was completed in 2018. After about 8 years of use, the membrane surface remains white, and the steel components show no obvious rust or paint peeling.

Q8: Where can this type of membrane corridor be used?

It is suitable for hospitals, schools, industrial parks, office parks, commercial buildings, and other building connection projects.

Q9: Can Jingtian support overseas projects?

Yes. Jingtian can provide design support, fabrication, packing, shipment, installation drawings, and remote technical guidance for overseas projects.

Q10: Do you provide overseas installation?

No. Overseas installation is completed by the client’s local contractor. Jingtian provides technical support only.