Transparent
Design for the Olympic Games
More
than 36,000 square metres of Makrolon® plastic sheet was used in the
construction of Olympic sports competition venues in China, creating spectacular
settings for spectators and television viewers alike to see all of the
exciting events without obstructions and in good light.
The impressive roof structure of the Olympic stadium in Shenyang, which is integrated into the green hills like wings slowly landing on the ground, could only be realised with high-tech plastics like the polycarbonate (PC) Makrolon®. For the large, transparent roof above the stands, Bayer Sheet Europe (BSE) developed a special sheet, the Makrolon® multi UV 3X/25-25 ES. The crucial parameter for the Chinese contractors was the minimal deflexion of the sheet at a span of 1.5 meters. The 25- millimetre thick sheets can bear more than three kilo Newton per square metre, which guarantees the stability of the roof even under high rain and snow load. 21.530 square metres of the roof and façade surface are made of the plastic sheet that was developed in minimum time by BSE. The material was manufactured in China by Beijing-based Bayer Guangyi Panel, making it possible to respond to customer requirements in a fast and flexible manner. Like BSE, Bayer Guangyi Panel belongs to the business unit of semi-finished products within Bayer MaterialScience.
The low weight of the Makrolon® sheets, which are much lighter than glass, also worked in favour of the tight schedule of the project. The multi-wall sheet can be installed by cold bending into a filigree substructure - in the Shenyang stadium, this structure consists of rectangular aluminium channels.
In view of the large investment that the building of a new stadium represents, the long life of the materials is also an important criterion. In previous projects, the Makrolon® sheet barely shows any signs of ageing even after 20 years, demonstrating the top quality of the material.
Despite
its roof, the sports stadium in Tianjin is still an open-air arena - thanks
to Makrolon® multi-wall sheet. 13,000 square metres of the material
form a transparent inner circle and partially cover the stands. The 6-millimetre-thick
Makrolon® sheet has a light transmission rate of more than 85 percent,
which has several benefits. As a large portion of the light spectrum passes
through the transparent roofing, the tribunes could be extended close
to the playing field. This maximises the number of seats but prevents
the obstruction of natural light, which would affect the growth of the
lawn. For a stadium that hosts Olympic soccer games, an impeccable lawn
is of crucial importance.
Makrolon® multi-wall sheets were also used for the roofing of the
stands in the Quingdao Olympic Sailing Centre, and in various parts of
the façade of the venues in Beijing where the weightlifting and
the gymnastics competitions will be held.
Everything is going to plan in the preparations for the Olympic games in China. All of the stadiums are ready and have demonstrated their suitability for the Olympic games at the 'test games' Good Luck Beijing. Now everything is ready to welcome the athletes and fans from all over the world to the exciting and colourful competitions.
