Connections - Tensile Fabric Structures: Design, Analysis, and Construction - page 117

Typically, the fabric at a mast top terminates at a rigid ring constructed with a rolled
steel tube or similar member. Plate or tubular steel standoffs may fix the geometry of
the ring relative to the top of the mast (Figure 7-16), or turnbuckles or threaded rods
may allow the ring to “float,” thereby permitting field adjustment to perfect fabric or
cable geometry (Figure 7-17).
Figure 7-16
F i xe d M ast T op
F i g ur e 7-1 7
Floating Mast Top
The mast peak also performs important nonstructural functions. Some peaks are
designed to allow ventilation of hot rising air through the inside of the tension ring
(with or without the addition of a cap configured to keep out rainwater, while others
are sealed against both air ventilation and water infiltration. The mast peak is an
important visual singularity, and its appearance and coordination with the visual
vocabulary of other elements of the structure deserve close consideration.