World Cup Soccer Stadium Uses PVC Roofing To Achieve Performance GOOAAALLL!
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 22, 2010 – The new Cape Town sports stadium kicks off eight World Cup matches this summer with a suspended roof construction made of 340,000 square feet of PVC mesh membranes.
The lightweight, tear-resistant PVC membranes of the partially enclosed stadium combine high aesthetic demands with winning performance, diffusing sunlight so spectators can enjoy daytime matches without oppressive heat.
Construction crews broke ground for the stadium in March of 2007 and it was completed in December of 2009.
The 68,000-seat, six-level stadium was a joint project of GMP Architects of Hamburg, Germany, and the engineering firm of Schlach Bergermann and Partners (sbp) engineering firm of Stuttgart, Germany.
“Two important criteria have had an effect on the design of the structure: first, the city’s restriction on the height of the stadium; secondly, the dominating influence of the horizontal silhouette of Table Mountain,” stated Krut Goppert, managing director of sbp.
Birdair, of Amherst, N.Y., served as the roofing contractor for Cape Town Stadium. Birdair has worked on stadiums and arenas all over the world, including the 2010 World Cup stadiums in Durban and Port Elizabeth.
The stadium’s flat roof, resembling a large undulating bicycle wheel, is made of a compression ring, a suspended cable net, and an elevated trussed structure on the top, its design complementing the mountainous terrain.
Spanned between the radial cables, the extremely high tensile mesh membranes not only filter the light, but also dampen sound and effectively display the roof.
Its extreme tensile strength and flexibility provides effective protection against strong winds together with the glass roof since the notorious “southeaster” blows down with full strength from Table Mountain onto the stadium at the beginning of summer.
The translucent mesh liner creates a veil-like effect that mimics the misty mountain atmosphere. Once it hosts a semi-final World Cup match on July 6, Cape Town Stadium is equipped for various sports competitions, concerts, and other major events.
For more information, go to www.birdair.com and www.pvcplus.de.
The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of
PVC/vinyl resin in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC/vinyl products to society.
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The Vinyl Institute
571-970-3327
jpalmer@vinylinfo.org
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