The advantages of inflatable structures Flexible and economical, air-supported structures fill multiple market niches. Specialty Fabrics Review | October 2009 By Holly O’Dell The inflatable wall for Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia utilized faceted transparent shapes made of unsupported PVC material. Seam lines and joints had to be very exact to achieve the required architectural result. Photo: 1300 Inflate When it comes to inflatable products, many people think of bouncy castles, parade floats or dancing tubes used for advertisi ng . But the world of air-supported structures , or inflatables, extends far beyond the use of entertainment and advertising to industrial, military, architectural and aerospace applications. Whether they’re used as a portable shelter or a payload landing on Mars, air-supported structures offer numerous benefits