Etfe Cushion Roofing System

The water cube of the 2008 olympics the world s largest structure made of etfe film.

Etfe cushion roofing system.

It is one of the most beautiful systems that can be applied on roofs and façades with aesthetic and light appearance. It is an application with many advantages in terms of lightness transparency and long life with single wall or inflatable cushion applications. The cushions are manufactured from multiple layers of ethylene tetra fluoro ethylene etfe a modified co polymer. The low co efficient of friction of etfe means that dirt can easily be removed by rain fall or by localized spot cleaning however in practice cleaning is very rarely required.

The first commercially viable etfe foils were synthesised by dupont as long ago as the 1970 s. Etfe foil cushion systems are certified as class c non fragile roof assembly in accordance with acr m 001 200 test for fragility of roofing assemblies. Etfe foil roofs can be supplied as a single layer membrane supported by a cable net system or commonly as a series of pneumatic cushions made up of two to five layers of etfe. The service life of etfe membrane is at least 25 to 35 years which is an ideal material for permanent multi layer movable roof structure.

Etfe cushions are filled with air using an air handling unit ahu. Texlon etfe. This allows you to use etfe in flat or curved panels for your roofing scheme without a complex cable net structure or the regulating pump systems required to maintain the form of etfe cushion solutions. The material is highly elastic and chemically resistant.

Biomes are constructed with etfe cushions. Class c is the lowest class of non fragile assembly and particularly if engineered to pass the test criteria may be close to the boundary between fragile and non fragile. We have used it several times for windows in rooms subjected to ethanol vapour and condensation where pressure surges do occur as a result of the process taking place in the room. Etfe cushion roof systems are cost effective in terms of cleaning maintenance and operation.

Generally used in the form of air cushions in buildings the economic span of air cushions is generally 3 5 m. Texlon etfe system consists of pneumatic cushions restrained in aluminium extrusions and supported by a lightweight structure. Etfe roof at manchester piccadilly station manchester uk an example of its use is as pneumatic panels to cover the outside of the football stadium allianz arena or the beijing national aquatics centre a k a. Whether it is a single layer or in cushion forms etfe foil systems are supported in an aluminium extrusion at the perimeter which in turn is supported by the main.