ETFE – The Perfect Choice For An Enclosed Structure That Grows Grass

Have you ever been to a stadium? Have you noticed the grass and the coverings? Or, at least you may have seen stadiums in the television. You may think that the grass is actually artificial or is turf. However, this is not the case with every stadium. There are some stadiums that have artificial grass, and then there are others who grow real grass. And, to protect this grass from the outdoor environment against excess heat during summers, excess cold during winters, heavy rainfall during monsoons, and strong storms during autumn, it is advisable to have an appropriate covering for the stadium. One of the best materials one can use for this purpose is ETFE foil.

ETFE is a material which when covers a stadium can help the grass grow perfectly all the year round. The Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, is the perfect example of this application. It constructed its roof using ETFE in 2011, which made it the world’s first permanently enclosed stadium with a natural grass pitch. However, the project wasn’t as easy and smooth. The designers and architects involved faced many challenges while working on the project. When they began the project, they required a multipurpose facility that could be used all round the year in every weather. With a population of 1,19,000 people, the venue needed to be one that could support all kinds of sports, cultural, and entertainment events. With the climate of Dunedin being often cold and wet, the stadium thus required a roof that could stay closed and keep the visitors warm and dry. This is the reason the designers and architects came up with such an innovative solution – the first ever enclosed stadium with a natural grass pitch.

However, the next challenge was to find the most appropriate material for the enclosure. They rested rigs from various roofing materials to grow grass, for the next 2 years! With the various kinds of testing done, they decided upon using ETFE foil, as this was one winner that emerged to produce the healthiest turf. Moreover, the grass grown under the ETFE film was greener and healthier as compared to the grass grown outdoors. Furthermore, this material has natural ventilation properties, which makes it possible to customize the sun strike levels! All of this made ETFE the perfect choice! And, with such amazing properties, the designers could then design the stands on the northern end lower to allow maximum sunlight onto the pitch, and the end facades 5 meters above the ground, to allow fresh air across the pitch.

With the above example, it becomes clear that ETFE can prove to be the best solution when you are looking for a safe, protected, clear roof that can provide amazing ventilation while staying closed! So, when you plan up a transparent project next, make sure it is ETFE foilsupplied by Tuflite Polymers, where you can get the finest quality ETFE manufactured by the leading name Vector Foiltec. You will get excellent light transparency, extreme temperature resistance, supreme durability, long term weatherability, and much more!

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