Thousands of fans gathering to the FIFA World Cup 2010 matches in South Africa are in for a brilliant new experience - courtesy of SABIC Innovative Plastics' high-performance Lexan polycarbonate (PC) sheet. Lexan Exell D, a lightweight, high-impact and UV-resistant monolithic sheet, was chosen to create the roofing, facades and stairway glazing for the stunning new Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, where this year's opening and closing FIFA matches will be played. Lexan Exell D sheet was also selected for the building joints of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, and Lexan Thermoclear multiwall sheet was chosen for roof glazing at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. These amazingly tough, enviromentally progressive and transparent PC materials offer spectators an excellent viewing experience along with superior comfort, safety and aesthetics vs. traditional materials like glass, and are the top choice of architects to create the world's largest and most impressive structures. SABIC Innovative Plastics has long been a major player in the building & construction industry with a robust and growing portfolio of proven, sustainable, high-end products designed to help customers succeed.

The design of the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg was inspired by a calabash, a hollowed out gourd used as a traditional African cooking pot. The Lexan Exell D sheet roofing represents the boiling water flowing over the top of "the pot" and continues as droplets on the skin. SABIC Innovative Plastics' durable Lexan Exell D sheet glazing was also used to admit natural light into the stadium's stairway. The stadium can accommodate 95,000 spectators, all protected from the changing weather conditions by the Lexan Exell D sheet roof and façades covering an area of 14,000 m2.

"Today's sports stadiums and arenas combine unique design concepts, with tough requirements for safety, weatherability and code compliance," said Lennard Markestein, global marketing director, Specialty Film & Sheet, SABIC Innovative Plastics. "Lexan PC sheet delivers the clarity of glass without the drawbacks of weight and fragility, enabling award-winning and unique designs and a safe, satisfying experience for attendees. Our materials are playing a critical role in the construction of public buildings because they combine outstanding performance, environmental responsibility and aesthetics."

Stadiums Around the World Feature Lexan Sheet

Lexan sheet products are the materials of choice for sports stadiums in many nations. For example, Lexan Thermoclear sheet was specified for more than 50 stadiums throughout the world, including the Sydney Olympic Stadium in Australia, Chongqing Olympic Stadium in China, and the UEFA European Football Championship Euro 2008 and Euro 2004 stadiums in Austria, Switzerland and Portugal.

SABIC Innovative Plastics' extensive experience in stadium glazing led to potential use of its Lexan Thermoclear sheet for the roof glazing of the UEFA Euro 2012 stadium in Poland. The material offers exceptional stiffness to withstand high winds and heavy snow loads typical of the region. For the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, SABIC Innovative Plastics' engineering and design team is currently working closely with the Brazilian Soccer Committee on other potential projects.

Elegant Solutions for Complex Projects

Lexan Exell D monolithic sheet is a transparent PC sheet with proprietary UV protection on both sides, offering excellent weathering properties. It offers flame retardance that complies with the European fire standard EN 13501-1 for safety, and complies with glazing security impact resistance according to EN 356. Lexan Exell D sheet can be easily cold-formed into gentle curves, which makes it a good choice for skylights, covered walkways and barrel vaults. It is thermoformable into the desired geometry while retaining its UV-resistant coating. This material is backed by a 10-year limited written warranty against yellowing, loss of light transmission and breakage.

Lexan Thermoclear multiwall sheet products are a versatile thermoplastic glazing material that has been used in arena roofing and other glazing for more than 30 years and delivers a unique combination of advantages in roofing for large, complex structures. Compared to glass, Lexan Thermoclear sheet is significantly lighter in weight while offering high stiffness and more than 250 times the impact resistance to reduce the risk of breakage from wind, hail, and other extreme weather, as well as vandalism.

Lexan sheet glazing materials can help to deliver measurable return on investment through ease of installation; lower insurance costs due to weather damage; and less need for replacement due to UV degradation, weathering and breakage.