In this paper, a new type of air beam system named “semi-rigid air beam” is proposed. This system is made by adhering a plate material having semi-rigidity to the upper surface of the tie-type air beam with diagonal cords. The feature of this system is to show higher stability and rigidity under low air pressure. In this study, the effectiveness of this system was clarified by numerical analysis and simple loading tests. By producing full-size test pieces by hand, it was confirmed that the manufacturing process of this structure is comparatively easy.
