The LSAA joined with the Specialized Textiles Association in a combined trade expo supported by conference presentations.
The event was held at the Crowne Plaza in the Hunter Valley NSW from May 31 to June 2 2014.
The traditional STA Trade Expo was different in that the Exhibition area was only "opened" from 11am to 2pm. Outside of these times, several parallel Conference Sessions took place.
The LSAA gave a structured and educational series of presentations over two days covering "Tensioned Fabric Structures" - Australian History, Design Principles, Materials, Applications, Basic Engineering Understanding and Lessons to be Learnt.
The presentations by Peter Kneen, Bob Cahill and Peter Lim were very well received.
In particular, feedback from the audience highlighted the knowledge gained relating to the large forces involved both in fabric prestress levels and the magnitude of wind loads. Several example where extremely large deflections under moderate wind demonstrated issues that need to be addressed by the shadecloth industry.
