# Investigating Load-Bearing Capabilities and Failure Mechanisms of Inflatable Air Ribs
## 1 Introduction  
Inflatable membrane structures are celebrated for remarkable lightness, flexibility, and strong adaptability [1]. They are widely used in various fields, including tourism, aerospace, military operations [2, 3], and disaster relief [4]. As such, the optimal design is crucial for ensuring safety and durability [5, 6]. Despite these advantages, the overall stiffness of membrane structures is too low to resist deformation under wind loads [7]. The Guangzhou Olympic Sports Center Badminton Hall collapsed in convective weather, highlighting that enhancing the load-bearing performance of tents is important. The structures of tents should be redesigned to enhance wind resistance capabilities. Due to the high sensitivity to wind, the wind-induced responses of membrane structures have been analyzed extensively. [PERSON] et al. [8] studied the stochastic vibrations and structural reliability of hyperbolic paraboloid composite membrane structures under wind loads. The structural performance functions of the composites were proposed. [PERSON] et al. [9] analyzed the wind pressure coefficients of an oval arch membrane structure. The influence of the rise-span ratio, wind direction, and terrain were studied, and suitable zoning was proposed for oval membrane structures. Additionally, [PERSON] [10] and [PERSON] [11] et al. assessed the wind-induced responses of oval arch-supported membrane structures by windtunnel data and random vibration time-history analysis. The gust load factors and nonlinear adjustment factors were introduced to an equivalent static design method. Then, wind speed, direction, and structural geometry were used to evaluate the maximum stress of structures. [PERSON] et al. [12] theoretically investigated the galloping phenomenon of tensioned orthotropic saddle-shaped closed membranes. The study demonstrated that the rise-span ratio is the primary control parameter for the critical wind speed. An accurate theoretical solution was provided for the aerodynamic stability of saddle membrane structures. To mitigate damage induced by wind loads, it is crucial to enhance the load-bearing capabilities of membrane structures. [PERSON] et al. [13] developed an equivalent static analysis method to improve the load-bearing efficiency. It is conducted by exploring wind responses and anti-wind designs of spherical inflatable membrane structures. Similarly, [PERSON] [14] and [PERSON] [15] et al. introduced a novel method to design the free-form optimized structure of cable membrane structures within certain constraints. The stiffness of new structures was enhanced compared to membrane structures without cables. [PERSON] et al. [16] developed a new interactive generative framework that combines evolutionary algorithms with shape parameterization and the structure of tensile membrane structures (TMSs) together. This framework is adaptable to various shapes and can be used for optimizing prestress. [PERSON] et al. [17] improved the load-carrying capacity of membrane structures by exploiting the functionally graded carbon-nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) material. These studies are pivotal in enhancing the load-bearing performance of membrane structures. The air-ribbed tent, as a new type of membrane structure, is supported by air ribs. The external loads are applied to the parapulin of the tent directly, and the loads are transmitted to the air ribs through adhesive strips. Therefore, the load-bearing capacity of the air ribs influences the load-bearing capacity of the whole tent. [PERSON] et al. [18] proposed an air-ribbed membrane structure that retains the advantages of rapid deployment and flexible space. The tent was able to withstand the wind load and snow load that occurs once in 50 years. [PERSON] et al. [19] analyzed the local structure of a disaster relief tent using ANSYS 14.5, and the suitable range of the rise-span ratio was determined by the displacement and stress results of the air ribs. [PERSON] et al.