Arena Roofing with Thermoplastics

The challenge of roofing ultra large scale buildings and structures such as stadiums and arenas, has always been about providing natural light, while still offering protection from the elements. Roofing technology advancements in thermoplastics are allowing both.

A newer breed of Polycarbonates (a group of thermoplastic polymers), are beginning to replace traditional glass or acrylic elements in stadium roofing with a unique lightweight plastic that allows in natural light, but also offers plenty of thermal insulation, making it much more energy efficient. The plastic is resistant to impact, is effective through a wide range of temperatures and is resistant to degradation from UV radiation.

One company that produces these thermoplastic panels is Sabic (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation), an organization based in Saudi Arabia. Its panels are being used to replace insulated corrugated metal roofing applications. The lightweight panels snap together making for fast, easy installation. The panels are available in a variety of sizes up to 20 meters in length. They have excellent thermal insulation, high rigidity, and offer excellent light transmission and diffusion. The company is able to tailor-make panels to the customer’s design and mechanical requirements. A prime example of their technology was just seen at the World Cup stadium — The Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. The roof of the stadium is made entirely from these lightweight panels and protected the audience from the weather, while still allowing in plenty of light.

Ecologic Technologies Inc., based in California, offers a similar product. The thermoplastic sheets offer the clarity of glass (transmitting up to 90% of visible light) while filtering out harmful UV light. The plastic also has 20 times the impact resistance of fiberglass and over 40 times the impact resistance of glass or acrylic. Ecologic’s polycarbonate sheets are being used for greenhouses, sunrooms, commercial roofing, office partitions, patio covers, hurricane protection, swimming pool enclosures and more. The corrugated sheets can be ordered in 38 or 50 inch widths and up to 39 feet in length. They come in opal, bronze and clear colors.