Towards Efficient Architecture

Efficiency

 by Eric Gervais - Senior Architectural Business Development at SABIC Functional Forms | EMEA| 09-03-2024

Depending on the perspective of architects, builders, converters and owners, efficiency can relate to several different requirements, from cost control, material usage and long-term durability to energy, heat and light management. From a more encompassing view, however, these are all just sides of the same coin.

LEXAN solid sheet and LEXAN THERMOCLEAR™ multiwall sheet from SABIC Functional Forms are well known for their high strength-to-weight ratio and outstanding resistance to breakage. While these characteristics help builders reduce their transportation and installation costs, they also open attractive opportunities for implementing wide-span glazing designs with fewer supports and struts.

Beyond these advantages, LEXAN sheet can outperform the longevity of more traditional construction materials and comes with 10 to 20 years written warranties against discoloration, loss of transparency and loss of mechanical strength. Dedicated UV protection on one or both sides provides remarkable clarity even after many years of intense solar irradiation and weathering.

In terms of resource efficiency and sustainability, SABIC Functional Forms has pioneered a number of LEXAN sheet solutions designed to drive circularity and mitigate fossil depletion. As part of our sustainable portfolio and services, these sheet materials use mechanically recycled post-consumer material or certified renewable content from second-generation sources not in competition with human food production.

From an owner’s perspective of comfort and well-being, the efficiency of LEXAN sheet glazing, roofing or cladding is also a factor of the cost control and convenience for functional performance criteria, namely heat, sound and light management. As a result of its unique multiwall structure, which traps air between the layers, LEXAN THERMOCLEAR sheet has shown to outperform the energy-efficient thermal insulation of double- or even triple-pane glass windows while still providing long-term clarity and transparency of up to 83%. For solar control in hot climates or south-facing installations, it is available in translucent colors of bronze, grey, blue, green and opal white. These grades significantly reduce solar heat build-up, helping to maintain comfortable interior temperatures and reducing the need for air-conditioning as we adapt to climate change.

The efficiency of LEXAN THERMOCLEAR in sound insulation depends largely on its specific multiwall structure and thickness, and can reach up to 28 dB. Moreover, it also excels in efficient impact energy absorption, which is an important requirement for greenhouses and outdoor living spaces.

These benefits are complemented by a range of specially engineered products, including LEXAN Corrugated sheet for balanced light transmission and solar properties, with optional Dripguard coating for condensation control. Transparent LEXAN Solar Control IR sheet blocks near-infrared heat but lets in high levels of visible light. The IR transmission resistance is managed by proprietary additives in the polymer resin rather than with expensive and fragile coatings, which makes the solar control properties virtually permanent. Our functional technologies offer customized solutions to meet the most demanding specifications of efficiency in B&C.