Facade sheet material protects structures

Dupont has announced the launch of Dupont Tyvek UV Facade, a sheet material designed to provide protection against wind and weather for entire external wall constructions that feature open joints.

The facade sheet material is based on the Dupont Tyvek breather membrane.

Created using flash-spinning and bonding technology, Dupont Tyvek UV Facade has a functional layer that keeps out wind and water while at the same time enabling vapour-open diffusion.

Open joints on rainscreen cladding mean that the sheet material installed behind is exposed to UV light penetration throughout the lifecycle of the building, therefore the material must meet high requirements in terms of UV resistance.

In order to comply with EN 13859-2, the material must be tested in the laboratory by permanently exposing it to UV radiation for 5,000 hours (which represents close to seven months).

After an extensive development process, designers at Dupont ensured that Dupont Tyvek UV Facade retains more than 90 per cent of its residual strength and 80 per cent of its ductility even after being put through the more rigorous ageing test for facade sheet materials with open joints.

After 5,000 hours of simulated permanent exposure to UV radiation in the laboratory, the sheet material was found to be still fully functional.

Therefore Dupont Tyvek UV Facade is expected to protect the insulation and the structure behind open-jointed rainscreen cladding for up to 50 years with joint widths of 20mm.

Even with joint widths of 30mm, Dupont still gives a 10-year functional guarantee.

At the same time, Dupont Tyvek UV Facade can be exposed to any weather conditions for up to four months before being covered, without any negative impact on the durability or functionality of the sheet material.

This is especially critical on complex, multi-stage construction projects.

At the same time, the sheet material, classified as W1 in accordance with EN 1928, enables sufficient vapour-open diffusion with its SD value of 0.035m (in accordance with EN ISO 12572).

As a result, the material lets trapped residual moisture freely evaporate while simultaneously protecting the insulation against incoming moisture.

Provided the layers are overlapped and bonded together properly, the material's wind-resistant properties provide additional protection.

When used in conjunction with the appropriate protective measures at either end of the facade, the material also delivers adequate protection from insects.

Back to top