Inflatable ETFE envelopes
AIR FANTASIES OR PRAGMATIC CALCULATION? NEW TECHNOLOGIES OF THE XXI CENTURY. ETFE
The second half of the XX century is the beginning of active development of membrane technologies, which can now be characterized as a real BREAKTHROUGH in the field of MEMBRANE ARCHITECTURE. MEMBRANE MATERIAL are used in building construction, along with traditional materials (stone, glass, metal, wood).
Because of its exceptional durability and UV resistance, ETFE was initially developed for the space industry.
The leading architects and engineers all over the world apply the innovative technology. The diversity of objects is from facilities for the Olympic games and government buildings to objects of commercial purpose.
ETFE. One-layer structures.
Roofing, facades, sheds, abat-jours, umbrellas and etc.
Multi-layer structures.
Multi-layer systems consist of pneumatic membrane cushions enclosed in aluminum profiles and supported by the load-bearing structure. The cushions are produced of two to five layers of ETFE foil.
ETFE. Integration with illumination
ETFE. Complicated shapes
ETFE. Covering large areas
ETFE. Lightness
ETFE foil weighs 175 g/ sq. m. the thickness being 100 micrometers. That is dozens of times less than glass! That allows you to produce much larger spans than those that apply classical structures. A rectangular pillow may reach the width of about 4 m, and the length is almost unlimited.
ETFE. Alternative to glazing
It is an efficient and relatively cheap solution for architecture in the places, where glass is impossible to use or expensive, for example shell-type shapes and similar ones. It can be translucent roofs and atriums. The quantity of materials (steel and aluminum) required for covering with ETFE is less, than is required for glass covering. The load-bearing structure may be minimized thanks to the increase of the spans and the use of lighter junctions.
ETFE. High transparency (93%)
The range of the wave length is starting with the visible radiation and including. UV. This property makes ETFE an especially valuable solution for building greenhouses, scientific botanical centers, winter gardens, sports facilities.
ETFE. UV transmission
It is important when creating facilities for people, flora and fauna.
ETFE. Heat insulation
ETFE cushions provide relatively high values of heat insulation. The approximate values of the heat transmission coefficient (U) depending on the number of layers of the ETFE cushion:
2 layers - 3 W/m2K (0.33)
3 layers - 2 W/m2K (0.5)
4 layers – 1.5 W/m2K (0.67)
ETFE. Possibility of applying a picture (print)
ETFE. Application of the illustration - design and sun protection
ETFE. Transparency
ETFE. Light management
Light, energy and aesthetical peculiarities of the building are optimized. The inflow of sunlight can be regulated (possibility of variable shading) or you can control the light inside the building – protect from sunlight when it is necessary.
ETFE. Self-cleaning
ETFE is not subject to contamination, any liquid rolls down from it like dew from flowers.
ETFE. Durability
ETFE. Resistance to aggressive agents
ETFE does not require expenditures for maintenance: the tension density of the polymer and the features of its chemical composition make it extremely resistant to aggressive acid-base environments.
ETFE. Fire resistance
At T>200°C the cushions pop and the flame, the heat and the smoke break out, thus decreasing the risk of collapse of the load-carrying structures of the building, and the drops of the melted polymer do not burn. ETFE does not spread fire along the surface; it dies out immediately on its own and does not emit sparks during fire.
We are ready to offer you not only the ETFE material, but a whole complex, including: individual designing of the project from the initial idea and a sketch, engineering and design support, kitting with the elements of the aluminum system for the fixation of the ETFE products and a load-carrying structure for them, design engineering and manufacturing of the external ETFE enclosure (pattern cutting, adhesion), support of the installation and technological works, including warranty service.
* To imagine the possibilities of the new building technologies better, this section presents examples of objects carried out by various companies in different countries of the world; LOMMETA Company does not have claim on the right for these objects.