Tropical animals: do like at home in the North of Germany?
This past summer has inaugurated the Ornithology Park, largest in the world in the German town of Walsrode (North of the country) due to the use of a transparent alveolar plates of the polycarbonate Makrolon from Bayer. The tropical Pavilion designers chose this material as an element of quadruple layer glazing, manufactured by the company Röhm.
Now the animals and plants from tropical habitats will find themselves at home, despite being housed in a cold area in the North of Germany. The new Ornithology Park is characterized by a transparent building, based on a project registered for Expo 2000, which covers an area of 2,700 m2 and more than 25,000 m3 of volume. This building is adjacent to the main pyramid building and other three side wings that are arranged to form a star. The roof and side walls of the Pavilion of up to seven metres in length have been filled with four layers Makrolon Longlife alveolar plates.
Excellent thermal insulation
The alveolar calls plates are flat, hollow sections extruded shape continuous. They consist of two, three, or four layers, also called belts, stabilized by partitions that unite among themselves. These tenacious and virtually unbreakable plates of Makrolon have a very light weight, good thermal insulation and a high degree of transparency. The type of iron has to choose depends on the raised demands to the glazing of each architectural project.
In the case of the Ornithology Park Walsrode, the balance is tipped by several reasons to the alveolar plates of four layers of Röhm, whose thermal insulation is formidable. The value k of these constructive elements light, 25 millimeters thick, stands at 1.7 W/m2 * K. Some data of reference: an alveolar sheet of double layer (4.5 mm) presents a value k 3.9 W/m2 * K. In a simple glass (4 mm), the k value stands at 5.7 W/m2 * k
In addition to thermal insulation, the transparency of the glass is an important criterion of the architectural project of Walsrode, taking into account especially birds and plants that are hosted inside. The degree of transmission of light (D65) of the plates of four layers is located at 68 percent. To give them a long life, lightweight structural elements are equipped with a protection to weathering and UV radiation which consists of a surface finish (coating "longlife") that will be applied on the outer face of the alveolar plates by co-extrusion. The outer layer is performed in a thickness of 1.1 mm, to confer on the plate a special resistance to hail.
In the tropical Pavilion of Walsrode a protection to the weather on both sides was not necessary. In the inner side of the alveolar plates of four layers was instead applied a coating called "No-drop". This protective film displays an extensor effect of water, i.e. the condensed water drips not from a point either, but that it melts in the form of film.
Easy and quick Assembly
Walsrode tropical Pavilion is supported by pillars of zinc coated steel, supported on foundations pinpoint or zapata. The structure on which rests the roof consists of trusses or straps of wood joinings, not torsionados. Unlike wooden beams, these straps allow inside a larger light or distance between supports and a lower burden on them.
This type of structure is in a better perspective and better use of the available space in the interior of the Pavilion. Thanks to its resistance to impact, lightness and resistance to breakage and shattering, alveolar polycarbonate plates have a huge facility both transformation and placement. They have to comply with only a few rules of Assembly.
Up, close; below, air
Check the compatibility of the systems of profiles, the means used to join or to give tightness with Makrolon Longlife, in order to prevent crack of plastic. The profiles and even surfaces of the support structure required to submit a color clear (the best is the white) or be reflejantes in their contact with the alveolar iron faces. If you omit this detail can occur local overheating and stress in the material. In the tropical Pavilion there this risk because the structure of wood, of dark color, is sufficiently distant from the plates. In general should be taken into account that the distance of ventilation minimum between the inner shadows (blinds shutters or fixed) and the glazing must be 120 mm.
