January 2009 saw the opening of the family-friendly Big Splash Adventure Waterpark in French Lick, Indiana, USA. The building has been designed, fabricated and installed by the company OpenAire, which is an expert for retractable roof skylights and roof enclosures for more than 30 years. The 40,000 square metre indoor park is surrounded by an impressive structure consisting of Exolon® multiwall polycarbonate sheets embedded in a thermally broken aluminium frame. The architecture and construction were modelled on the Pirate´s Cay Waterpark in Sheridan, IL and the Silverleaf Resort in Flint, TX, which both offer a roof that opens, thanks to retractable roof panels. This enables visitors to enjoy the direct summer breeze on warmer days and ensures a perfect temperature when the roof is closed on winter days.  

Source: OpenAire

The challenges: Light transmission, energy efficiency and a stable indoor climate

The area of the entire plastic roofing sheet construction is 2,700 m². The client opted for Exolon® Multi UV HX/25-32 multiwall polycarbonate sheets in the colour silky blue. There were many arguments in favour of using these robust sheets.

High light transmission combined with excellent thermal insulation properties was particularly important to the client, to keep the ongoing operating costs as low as possible. The design also had to be as unique and attractive as possible for visitors.

Source: OpenAire

Exolon® multiwall polycarbonate sheets for a constant cosy climate

Exolon® Multi UV HX/25-32 multiwall sheets have a unique internal structure that enables a low heat transfer coefficient and ensures guaranteed energy savings of more than 30 % compared to standard sheets. The Hybrid-X structure of the multiwall sheets is designed to optimise light transmission and diffusion. This minimises light distortion and creates a pleasant, diffuse light at all times. 

The optimised weight and the fact that larger roof spans can be achieved with polycarbonate sheets also spoke in favour of using plastic roofing sheets over glass. Impact tests (ASTM D3763) show that polycarbonate sheets are around 100 times more resistant than glass.

Source: OpenAire