Asahi Glass : AGC Technology Utilized in Roof of World's Only Permanently Covered Natural Turf Stadium

It is the world’s only permanently covered natural turf stadium, according to Dunedin Venues Ltd.



Forsyth Barr Stadium’s roof covers 20,000 square meters, and is composed of sheets of clear, lightweight film with a thickness of 0.2mm installed by Vector Foiltec Ltd. The stadium, completed in early August, will host several notable fixtures in the world’s top rugby event taking place this September 9 to October 23. In addition to sporting events, the multi-purpose, all-weather stadium can also host events, concerts and trade shows, offering visitors the visual spaciousness and abundant sunlight of an open environment, while protecting them from wind, rain and snow during poor weather.



Fluon ETFE Film



Forsyth Barr Stadium



The interior of Forsyth Barr Stadium



AGC’s fluoropolymer film was chosen for its lightness, which facilitated construction, and its high sunlight transmission rate exceeding 90%, which creates ideal conditions to enhance visual spaciousness and adequately cultivate the natural turf. Further, the material is highly weather-resistant and so has an exceptionally long life span, resulting in minimal impact to the environment. It is also non-viscous, which makes it difficult for the surface to become soiled.



Fluon ETFE Film is made from a thermoplastic fluoropolymer developed and sold by AGC since 1975. Fluon ETFE features excellent transparency and resistance to heat, chemicals and weather. It also boasts strong electrical insulation and non-sticking properties, and has a variety of applications in areas such as electronics, aerospace components, solar cells, wallpaper and greenhouses. In recent years, the material has been used extensively in construction, with notable examples including the Allianz-Arena soccer stadium in Munich, Germany and Kazakhstan’s Khan Shatyr



Entertainment Centre.



AGC positions its contribution to fighting global warming through technology as a key measure of its Grow Beyond management policy, and offers a wide variety of construction materials designed to help save energy and protect the environment. Through a combination of its technological capabilities in glassmaking, chemistry and ceramics, AGC aims to continue developing and supplying high quality products that contribute to the reduction of environmental impact.



The Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre in Kazakhstan is an example of architecture utilizing Fluon



ETFE fluoropolymer film.



Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre in Kazakhstan



©Copyright Reproduced Courtesy of Vector Foiltec



Notes:



• ETFE is a copolymer consisting of Ethylene and TetraFluoroEthylene

About the AGC Group



The AGC Group, with Tokyo-based Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. at its core, is a world-leading supplier of flat, automotive and display glass, chemicals and other high-tech materials and components. Drawing on more than a century of technical innovation, the AGC Group has developed world-class expertise in fields including glass, fluorine chemistry and ceramics technologies. The group employs some 50,000 people worldwide and generates annual sales of more than 15 billion USD through business in about 30 countries. For more information, please visit www.agc.com/english/.