IMPROVING LIFETIME AND PERFORMANCE OF ETFE FOIL CUSHIONS

摘要

The performance of the material used in fenestration can have a lasting effect on the performance of building as a whole. It is often cited as a major reason for refurbishment and replacement of facades. Ethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) Foil cushions are a novel construction system used primarily in main land Europe as an alternative roofing material to glazing for the past twenty years. We have undertaken an investigation into the design and use of ETFE Foil cushions in construction which was funded by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) in the UK. This work has included an assessment of the performance of ETFE Foil cushions in situ and measurement of internal environmental conditions and perception under ETFE Foil cushion roofs. This paper aims to summarise the findings of this study and to give succinctly the main causes for failure and means of improving the performance of ETFE Foil cushions in buildings from a structural and environmental perspective.