ETFE - material for architectural revolution

Imagine the pool made of bubbles, the roof of the stadium connected by steel beams that look like giant bird nests or tents spread over an area of ​​93,000m ² . A decade ago, buildings like this existed only in imagination. Currently, they are being built to serve the Beijing Olympic Games including the new national stadium, the water sports center and the Khan Shatyry entertainment center in Kazakhstan. All thanks to the skillful hands of the team of architects and engineers and the superior features of ETFE , flexible materials with high durability and adaptability.

ETFE is likely to play a key role in architectural works but in fact this material dates back to the 1970s when the American DuPont Corporation invented a polymer from fluorocarbon and named Ethylene Tetrafluorothylene (abbreviated as ETFE), used as an insulation material in aviation.

However, DuPont was not interested in introducing it to the architect until Stefan Lehnert, a German-based mechanical student and business administrator, discovered the characteristics of ETFE as transparent and self-made. Clean and easy texture changes can be applied to the construction industry. In 1982, Lehnert founded Vector Foiltec, ETFE specialized design and construction company in Bremen city (Germany) and started promoting this material to architectural companies.

Built with ETFE materials, Khan Shatyry Recreation Center, 150m high and 30,000m ² of tent shape, in Kazakhstan's capital Astana is expected to be completed next year. (Photo: gizmodo.com)

The first building using ETFE by Vector Foiltec is a roof at the zoo in Arnheim (Netherlands). Since then, ETFE has become popular, especially in Europe. In the 1990s, this plastic material was used to build offices, schools, hospitals, exhibition halls and botanical gardens throughout England and Germany. In 2000, the Eden project - a 30,000 square meter ecological complex in the UK comprised of many ETFE material greenhouses - was completed and hailed as an architectural masterpiece.

Vectro Foiltec has just completed a headquarters building for the US government and currently has 8 projects in the US and more than 100 projects around the world to be deployed. London is also intending to invite Vectro Foiltec to build constructions for the 2012 Olympics. In addition, the world's leading architectural corporations such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Gehry . are considering Use ETFE for your upcoming projects.

Eden ecological complex in Cornwall. (Photo: core77.com)

This plastic material is attractive to builders thanks to its high-rolling and curling properties . ETFE is very light weight (about 1 / 100th of the glass weight) and can stretch 3 times the length without losing elasticity. The unique thing is that when torn, it can be patched by applying another ETFE piece. In case of contact with fire, ETFE softens, shrinks to allow smoke to escape. ETFE surfaces are non-sticky, not tiny and very smooth, so that dirt, snow and rain water cannot stick. With versatile features, ETFE becomes the ideal material to replace glass or fiberglass.

It is estimated that if using ETFE, construction costs can be reduced by 10% for normal apartments and 60% for complex large projects. In addition, this material also has an environmentally friendly advantage because it can be recycled.

THAI AN