The Beijing "Water Cube" and its green "bubble-wrap" technology
Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:51PM EDT
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The Beijing National Aquatics Center has been the centerpiece of this year's Olympic games, but it isn't only because of Michael Phelp's unbelievable 8-gold-medal-winning performance.
It's the bubbles.
Although it may be visually stunning to the many visitors worldwide (especially at night), the Water Cube's bubbly exterior showcases some of the latest in green technology that is currently being used to save significant amounts of energy.
Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) is a light-weight polymer foil, around 250-microns thick, that is stretched thin and then folded to create giant air pockets that let light pass through while trapping and storing heat. 3,000 of these air bubbles have been created (roughly 30 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep in the center) and are organized into three layers for use in the walls of the Bejing National Aquatics Center.
"It is like very sophisticated bubble wrap," said Annette LeCuyer, an architecture professor at the University at Buffalo (via LiveScience.com). "What you end up with is a very thick wall that is mostly made of air," LeCuyer said. "It acts like a duvet blanket."
So where do we find the energy savings? According to Vector Foiltec, a glass building would take 200 times more energy to fabricate and construct when compared to an EFTE building. Additionally, according to LeCuyer, the "bubble wrap" provides the same amount of insulation as two layers of triple-glaze glass. LeCuyer adds that a glass building would cost twice as much to construct, due to the extra framework required to support the much heavier glass.
Other advantages over standard glass is that it is fire-resistant and also shatter-proof, and since it is non-stick, dirt, dust, and other foreign elements can be easily washed away with rain.
So what's next for EFTE? A sports stadium, leisure parks, and apparently a giant indoor Amazonian rainforest in Iowa are currently in the works. With all the advantages and unique design implementations that EFTE has to offer, expect this new green technology to have a very bright future in the coming years.
Source: LiveScience.com - How Bubble Wrap Could Power the Future
Comments on The Beijing "Water Cube" and its green "bubble-wrap" technology
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2 Posted by gracejun_castillo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:12PM EDT Report Abuse
amazing invention
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3 Posted by babbling_qu on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:01PM EDT Report Abuse
Wow. This stuff sounds pretty awesome.
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4 Posted by rfdaniel2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:38PM EDT Report Abuse
It would be great if it holds heat to use up north for people to raise food that is grown in the south. What a wonderful thing. Food is so expensive they could make small ones so people can grow thing in the winter. I am sure they will be using this at other places that want to build and not cost so much.
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5 Posted by zulzm on Thu Sep 3, 2009 11:02PM EDT Report Abuse
NIce but dangerous to Terrrorist attack ...one shot of M45 ...all burst out...in terms securities very dangerous.
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6 Posted by fredmackey on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse
Having visited Beijing a few weeks ago after my lucky wife won a trip sponsored by Visa, all I can say is WOW. The gardens of the Olympic village were only over shadowed by the colorful affects buildings every evening. The city was clean, peaceful and beautiful. The people were helpful, kind, courteous - wonderful! China should receive another gold metal for presentation!
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7 Posted by fredmackey on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse
Having visited Beijing a few weeks ago after my lucky wife won a trip sponsored by Visa, all I can say is WOW. The gardens of the Olympic village were only over shadowed by the colorful affects buildings every evening. The city was clean, peaceful and beautiful. The people were helpful, kind, courteous - wonderful! China should receive another gold metal for presentation!
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8 Posted by shawnmmhotsk8 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:18PM EDT Report Abuse
This building is so cool, it was the first thing that caught my eye while watching the olympics, and it gave me an idea. I am wanting to build a 3 sheet ice rink facility consisting of one olympic size rink 125 ft by 225 ft, a hockey regulation size rink of 80ft by 200 ft, and one small training rink. The cost of lighting is expensive, so if this could work with out causing my ice to melt then i'd like to use a building design like this. Instead of the soap bubble design i'd like mine to look like clear ice cubes, then instead of calling it the water cube i can call it the ice cube.
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9 Posted by shawnmmhotsk8 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:18PM EDT Report Abuse
This building is so cool, it was the first thing that caught my eye while watching the olympics, and it gave me an idea. I am wanting to build a 3 sheet ice rink facility consisting of one olympic size rink 125 ft by 225 ft, a hockey regulation size rink of 80ft by 200 ft, and one small training rink. The cost of lighting is expensive, so if this could work with out causing my ice to melt then i'd like to use a building design like this. Instead of the soap bubble design i'd like mine to look like clear ice cubes, then instead of calling it the water cube i can call it the ice cube.
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10 Posted by daniel_14dc on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:35PM EDT Report Abuse
nice i like the Beijing OLYMPICS
1 Posted by gracejun_castillo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:12PM EDT Report Abuse
amazing invention