Marlon CS goes for gold at Olympic Stadium

Leading plastics manufacturer Brett Martin has supplied more than 21,000m2 of Marlon CS Longlife rooflights for the landmark transformation of the former Olympic Stadium. Marlon CS Longlife corrugated polycarbonate was chosen to provide a robust and resilient transparent roof system which was also lightweight enough to offset the amount of steel used to create the longest cantilevered roof of its type in the world.

Offering an array of characteristics including superb strength to weight ratio, impact resistance, long term weatherability, ease of workability, fire performance and over 90% light transmission, the specification of Marlon CS Longlife polycarbonate sheets enabled the stadium designers to achieve a roof structure which simply would not have been possible at this scale otherwise.

The flagship project features a 44,000m² roof made up of two distinct sections – single ply membrane and polycarbonate – which run concentrically around the stadium. For the front, more steeply pitched section, some 4,484 sheets of Marlon CS Longlife were supplied in a Brett Martin Stadia Profile at 2mm in thickness and in a special width to achieve the project’s specific spanning requirements.

Due to the complex geometry of the canopy and the unique purlin structure, 38% of the Marlon CS Longlife sheets required for the project had to be individually taper cut to fit the intricate roof structure. A total of 2,756 sheets required tapers to one or both ends and often along the length of the sheet to ensure end laps would align with the purlins.

Working from the same 3D model created to generate the steelwork, Brett Martin devised a detailed Cutting Plan comprising an identification system to relate each cut sheet to its position on the roof. A dedicated production cell at Brett Martin’s polycarbonate extrusion facility in Co. Antrim was responsible for the individual cutting of 5,056 taper cuts with a mix of 1, 2 or 3 cuts per sheet. Production and delivery was phased for the 56 individual bays throughout a 12 week period.

Due to open in October 2015 to host the Rugby World Cup, the new-look stadium will then close again for the final phase of its transformation. Featuring a stunning rooflight array befitting of such a landmark development, the stadium will become home to West Ham United Football Club and the new national centre for athletics.