Oct 13 2010
The demands made on architecture in public spaces today are high. Structures need to be stylish, easy on the eye and offer a welcoming interior flooded with light. In view of the need to considerably reduce carbon dioxide emissions, there is also a growing demand for more energy efficiency in buildings. With transparent solid and multiwall sheets made of the polycarbonate Makrolon®, Bayer MaterialScience offers a wealth of options for attractive yet highly functional architectural solutions.
Buildings now dubbed "modern" often feature a transparent façade and large windows. Glass, however, is not only relatively heavy and liable to crack, it also offers limited design options. "Transparent Makrolon® sheets offer a similar level of light permeability, plus they are safer and provide more freedom of design. That's why they are a good alternative to glass," says Dr. Volker Benz, global project manager for major projects in the polycarbonate sheets section of Bayer MaterialScience. Their lower weight and durability are two additional reasons why demand is growing for polycarbonate sheets from Bayer MaterialScience for use in designing façades and other structural features.
The demands made on architecture in public spaces today are high. Structures need to be stylish, easy on the eye and offer a welcoming interior flooded with light. In view of the need to considerably reduce carbon dioxide emissions, there is also a growing demand for more energy efficiency in buildings. With transparent solid and multiwall sheets made of the polycarbonate Makrolon®, Bayer offers a wealth of options for attractive yet highly functional architectural solutions.
Transparent glazing with high energy efficiency
Makrolon® multi UV multiwall sheets made of the infrared-absorbing grade IQ-Relax cater to the demand for energy-efficient buildings. They satisfy all esthetic and functional requirements in terms of saving energy and lowering heat levels.
Installing these sheets as sustainable building components also falls within the scope of Bayer MaterialScience's EcoCommercial Building Program. Under this global program, the company has joined forces with a network of specialist companies - such as Bayer Sheet Europe GmbH - to offer customized material solutions and services for constructing energy-optimized commercial and public buildings. These range from low-energy passive buildings and structures to zero-emission properties.
From futuristic roof designs to bullet-proof windows
Once equipped with the required functionalities, polycarbonate sheets provide a wide range of additional possibilities in interior and exterior applications. "Makrolon® Multiwall grades, for example, offer good heat insulation similar to that provided by triple glazing. As they are extremely flexible in their range of uses, can be easily shaped but nonetheless remain robust, Makrolon® sheets are superior to many other materials when it comes to design freedom," continues Dr. Benz. What's more, they also offer high UV stability and improved scratch resistance. For their part, Makrolon® Hygard grades also provide a high standard of safety, as the products in this range are to a high extent bulletproof, but can also withstand explosions - properties that are particularly important in the construction of customer service areas and public buildings.
Polycarbonate sheets make it possible to create bold, imaginative designs like the airport terminal for the Airbus A 380, the new railway station in Wuhan, China, and the German Pavilion at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. As part of the new high-speed route between Beijing and Hong Kong, the station in Wuhan attracted many visitors following its opening in December 2009. Featuring multiwall sheets in thicknesses of between 16 and 25 millimeters, the building brings a contemporary appearance and sophisticated design to the overall infrastructure. The result is a futuristic structure with an imposing 54,000-square-meter roof made of polycarbonate.
Noise protection walls in public spaces represent a very different area of application for these versatile sheets. Designed to protect local residents, the mostly gray concrete walls that are a common sight at the sides of freeways lack a certain visual appeal. "Transparent walls based on sheets up to 18 millimeters thick fulfill all the relevant legal requirements and also blend in perfectly with the surrounding landscape," explains Wim Van Eynde, global project manager for mass transportation in the polycarbonate sheets section of Bayer MaterialScience. "They are easy and cost-effective to work with, as well as being environmentally friendly and resistant to graffiti and chemicals." Specially developed flame-retardant grades satisfy the strict requirements relating to flame retardance and smoke toxicity.
Spectacular presentation
With their extensive design freedom, good formability and low weight, solid and multiwall polycarbonate sheets are also ideal for exhibition/trade fair construction and interior design. One current example of this can be seen at the German Pavilion at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, whose theme is "Balancity - a city in balance". Three-dimensional, curved solid sheets from Bayer Sheet Korea have been installed in different city spaces (harbor, park, city square), for example in the unusual form of "floating flakes". The spectacular effect of the "harbor" is achieved using bluish transparent elements - all created by an artist using sheets just 4.5 millimeters thick and covering a total area of 320 square meters.
Large events of this type are subject to stringent safety requirements. Yet, even in these special circumstances, adhering to these rules is no problem at all - the material fulfills the criteria of the strict fire safety classification B2. In the case of fire, no burning droplets are produced. In many ways, this work of art made of Makrolon® Multi UV multiwall sheets embodies the slogan of this year's EXPO - "Better City, Better Life".