Product category:
Materials
News Release from: Sabic Innovative Plastics | Subject: LEXAN THERMOCLEAR
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 October 2005
Sheet for stadium roofs for UEFA Euro
2004
Lexan sheet provides excellent light transmission, high impact resistance and good weatherability for stadium roofs and requires minimum maintenance.
Lexan sheet provides excellent light transmission, high impact resistance and good weatherability for stadium roofs and requires minimum maintenance Whether a design demands either transparent or light diffusing materials, GE Advanced Materials Structured Products' LEXAN polycarbonate sheet remains a popular choice for stadium roofing and other associated stadium applications
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 8 Aug 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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One of the best and most recent examples of this is the specification of LEXAN THERMOCLEAR sheet as the roof glazing material for six of the stadiums that host the UEFA Euro 2004 football tournament in Portugal.
LEXAN THERMOCLEAR sheet provides excellent light transmission, high impact resistance and good weatherability - and will require minimal maintenance.
For these particular stadiums, more than 74,000m2 of both side UV protected LEXAN THERMOCLEAR sheet has been installed at the six venues In Portugal.
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Extremely suitable as roof glazing material is the recently developed multi-wall LEXAN THERMOCLEAR X-structure.
The X-structure sheet is UV-protected on both sides and has a unique X-shaped internal configuration that gives it its excellent stiffness, improved load resistance, high impact strength and good thermal insulation properties.
The massive programme of investment and rebuilding of stadiums for the UEFA Euro 2004 included: Lisbon, Luz stadium.
Luz is Portugal's biggest stadium with a fully covered seating capacity for 65,000 spectators.
It incorporates a series of high quality facilities and has been especially designed to withstand long-term exposure to sunlight and harsh weather conditions.
To meet these criteria, the HOK architectural bureau specified the double-sided UV light protection provided by 32mm thick LEXAN THERMOCLEAR X-structure sheet for the roof's glazed area of 10,600m2.
"The stadium roof glazing industry is demanding new materials with performance properties that go beyond anything currently available," explains Damon Lavelle, lead architect of the Luz stadium project for HOK, "and LEXAN THERMOCLEAR X-structure sheet with its superior stiffness characteristics, high infrared sun ray absorption while maintaining light transmission was the only material that supplied us with the combined properties that we were looking for in this project".
GE Advanced Materials Structured Products and HOK had previously worked together on the Sydney Olympic Stadium project, where 27,000m2 of 16mm LEXAN THERMOCLEAR sheet was used for the most challenging engineering feature of the stadium, the 300-metre span roof structure.
Suspended from a huge arch structure, the roof is constructed from a translucent grade of polycarbonate to minimise any shadows and patches of direct sunlight on the sporting area.
Its light, steel and sheet combination structural weight of 85kg/m2 (the sheet weight is only 3kg/m2) provides spectators with protection from the weather, whilst reducing the wind resistance for the participants on the field.
Porto, Dragao stadium.
The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Dragao stadium.
It has a 50,000-seat capacity, incorporates 280 tonnes of metal in its structure and has an array of pillars to support its translucent roof, which has been termed a veil because of its impressive design.
The roof incorporates 35,200m2 of LEXAN THERMOCLEAR X-structure that for this installation is 32mm thick and has UV protection on both sides.
Leiria, Dr Magalhaes Pessoa stadium.
The seating capacity at this stadium has been increased from 11,000 to 30,000.
The architect's product of choice to cover this new seating area is LEXAN THERMOCLEAR sheeting and more than 10,000m2 of the 25mm-thick both side UV protected sheet has been installed.
Aveiro, Municipal Aveiro stadium.
The Aveiro Municipal stadium has been completely reconstructed in a breathtaking design to accommodate over 30,000 spectators.
More than 7,600m2 of LEXAN THERMOCLEAR Plus sheet, 25mm thick, has been used to cover the roof of the complete seating area.
The Thermoclear Plus grade of LEXAN provides excellent stiffness and double-sided UV protection, and was supplied in special sheet lengths of more than 18.5 metres.
Lisbon, Jose Alvalade stadium.
This new stadium has capacity for 52,000 spectators.
Its modern design incorporates 9,000m2of LEXAN THERMOCLEAR Plus sheet to glaze the roof area and provides complete cover for all seated fans.
Porto, Bessa stadium.
The Bessa stadium is integrated within a sports complex that is under development and which is characterised by four new seating sections.
A roof covers all the seating areas and the use of LEXAN THERMOCLEAR X-structure has been able to fulfil all the architectural requirements for transparent glazing.
Long-lasting experience.
LEXAN polycarbonate sheet materials are manufactured and marketed by GE Advanced Materials Structured Products, a company with an impressive track record in stadium applications spanning more than 25 years.
Over 40 stadiums in Europe have been constructed using its products, including no less than ten in 2003 with a combined glazing area of 100,000m2.
Architects in five countries - Portugal, Austria, Slovenia, Norway and Switzerland - specified LEXAN polycarbonate sheet as their material of choice for roof glazing last year.
Key material requirements for all these applications were good light transmission, excellent stiffness, high impact strength and fire resistance.
Additionally, architects and installers emphasise the importance of LEXAN sheet's light weight and formability that allow great freedom to realise even the most complex stadium roof designs.
"As a global leader in polycarbonate sheet, our focus has always been to develop products that meet customer expectations for simple, quick and inexpensive assembly, low maintenance and aesthetic appeal," says Craig Witsoe, general manager of global Structured Products for GE Advanced Materials.
"These new materials were developed specifically to address these expectations so that customers can continue to expand their product applications globally.".
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