Application of ETFE membrane materials in sports venues

ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer) membrane materials are widely used in sports stadiums, and their unique properties bring many advantages to the design and construction of sports stadiums. The following is a detailed introduction to the application of ETFE membrane materials in sports stadiums:

1. Application Cases

（1）Bank of America Stadium: The stadium uses a 240,000 square foot transparent ETFE roof, which is the largest roof in the United States. The transparency of ETFE makes the view inside the building clearer and supports athletes to compete under natural light. In addition, the retractable roof of the ETFE membrane structure can be opened in a few minutes, bringing a new experience to the audience.

（2）Bank of California Stadium: The roof adopts an ETFE membrane structure, covering a total of 18,000 square meters of ETFE film. ETFE has a very high light transmittance, allowing fans to watch the game in a bright field of vision.

（3）Dalian Sports Center Stadium: Its exterior uses an ETFE air pillow of more than 100,000 square meters, which is currently the largest single building in the world second only to the membrane structure area of ​​Beijing Water Cube. The ETFE membrane structure air pillow curtain wall presents a wave-like change through a combination of blue and white, reflecting Dalian's football culture and marine culture.

（4）New Toyosu Running Stadium: Japan's first stadium to use ETFE film. In addition to the commonly used alloy frame, the structural support material used is also a pine frame. The surface printing technology of ETFE material makes the building surface have many "light-shielding points". These printing points that are extremely difficult to identify with the naked eye reduce the transmittance to about 35%, thereby reducing the negative impact of cold and hot environments on the interior.
Forsyth Barr Stadium: The stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, is the world's first fully enclosed natural grass stadium. The stadium uses a new ETFE film roof to protect fans and players below. Since it is not affected by weather, it can be used all year round.

（5）Phoenix Mountain Sports Park: The membrane structure used in the roof of the professional football field has a novel shape, and the membrane material has an unfolded area of ​​about 27,000 square meters. It is currently the largest single-layer ETFE membrane structure in the world. ETFE membrane materials have excellent light transmittance and self-cleaning properties.

（6）Cuauhtémoc Stadium: Mexico's fourth largest football stadium is the first and only stadium in Latin America with an exterior wall completely covered with ETFE.

（7）The curved appearance of the stadium's ETFE facade is extremely light, combining pre-Columbian design elements and mosaic features.

(8)Allianz Arena: The exterior wall is made up of 2,874 air cushions, 1,056 of which can glow during the game. Its facade uses ETFE air cushions with an embedded lighting system that can make the exterior wall emit red, blue or white light.

（9)University of Oregon Track and Field: The fence uses a steel structure + wood structure and is covered with ETFE film on the outer layer. The ETFE canopy and facade include a dedicated cable truss system and 3 different ETFE print patterns.

2. Advantages of ETFE membrane materials in stadiums

(1)High light transmittance: ETFE membrane materials have excellent light transmittance performance at a small thickness, filling the interior of the stadium with natural light and providing a good visual experience for athletes and spectators.

(2)Weather resistance and anti-aging performance: ETFE membrane materials can resist the erosion of natural environments such as ultraviolet rays and acid rain, maintain transparency and mechanical properties for a long time, and reduce maintenance costs and cycles.

(3)Lightweight and high strength: ETFE membrane is relatively light, but its strength and toughness are very high. It can withstand large wind and tension, and maintain the structural stability of the stadium.

(4)Self-cleaning: ETFE membrane has good self-cleaning performance, can clean its own surface during rain, avoid the accumulation of pollutants, and reduce the cleaning frequency and maintenance cost of the stadium.

(5)Tear resistance: ETFE membrane has high tear resistance and can withstand the impact and pulling of various external forces to ensure the safe use of the stadium.

(6)Processability and modeling diversity: ETFE membrane can be processed into any size and shape to meet the needs of large spans of stadiums, and can create unique architectural shapes and visual effects.

In summary, the application of ETFE membrane in stadiums has many advantages, which not only improves the functionality and aesthetics of the stadium, but also reduces the maintenance cost and cycle. With the continuous advancement of materials science and technological innovation, the application prospects of ETFE membrane in the field of stadiums will be broader.