Tensotherm to Insulate Renowned Canadian Athletic Centre Roof

13-Jul-2009
Talisman Centre will be Cabot Aerogel's 2nd project delivered in collaboration with Birdair, Inc. and Geiger Engineers

(Boston, MA and Calgary, AB Canada) July 13, 2009 – Cabot Corporation's (NYSE: CBT) Aerogel business today announced that the City of Calgary, with Williams Engineering, has designated Tensotherm™ with Nanogel® aerogel as the material of choice for its 162,000 sq ft roof system replacement project at the Talisman Centre.

More than 4,000 recreational and serious athletes alike use the full-service facility each day for its fitness, wellness and nutrition programs, as well as aquatics and athletics programs and services. Opened in 1983, the 26 year-old multi-use sport and recreation facility is undergoing a series of life-cycle upgrades, one of which is the replacement of the roof structure. Birdair's Tensotherm with Nanogel was chosen for its ability to transmit full spectrum light, extraordinary thermal properties and extreme hydrophobicity, as well as for its ability to mimic the well-known appearance of the current roof of this iconic landmark building on the skyline of Calgary.

"Since being involved in the original project in 1983, it's especially exciting to be working on the roof system replacement of the Talisman Centre. The new Tensotherm technology represents a significant step up in terms of thermal performance and durability due to the inclusion of Nanogel aerogel, allowing us to finally realize the full promise of the original Talisman roof concept," said David Campbell P.Eng., principal, Geiger Engineers.

The current roof system consists of 3 layers: a PTFE-coated fiberglass composite fabric outer membrane, Fibair fiberglass insulation suspended in a web belt system, and a separate fabric liner. This was the first thermally insulated translucent tension membrane roof in the world   However, the severe service conditions of the aquatic facility's atmosphere, coupled with the extremes of the Alberta winters taxed its original insulation performance. As the roof membrane was reaching its design service life (25 years), the Tensotherm product was developed as a higher performance, more serviceable substitute for the original system, combining the three components into one compact, insulated, pre-fabricated membrane, improving insulation in significantly less space and minimizing the time required for installation.

The new Tensotherm roof will provide a significantly greater insulation value than the original system and solve condensation problems that have plagued the structure and degraded its thermal performance. The Tensotherm roof system consists of a Nanogel aerogel fabric layer sandwiched between two layers of Birdair's structural PTFE fabric, an insulated composite that is less than two inches thick (40mm), yet has an insulation value of R-12.5. By maintaining the particularly important translucence, it also delivers markedly higher natural light transmission. This results in glare-free daylighting and contributes to a high level of energy-efficiency by reducing the need for artificial lighting. The advanced system also offers maximum moisture control and superior sound attenuation. These performance features of Nanogel will enhance user experience and will match the long-term efficacy of the PTFE membrane. 

The Talisman Centre, managed by the Lindsay Park Sports Society, can even count a recent Olympic medalist among its training alumna. Carol Huynh brought home the gold in wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing after regularly training at the Centre. The combined upgrades to the Centre are expected to enable at least 30 more years of operation, and undoubtedly in those years, many more Olympic hopefuls.

What is Nanogel® aerogel?
Sometimes called "frozen smoke", aerogel is the lightest and best insulating solid in the world.  Nanogel, Cabot's branded aerogel, is a hydrophobic aerogel produced as particles. Each particle consists largely of air (~95%) contained in nano-sized pores that severely inhibit heat transfer through the material. Nanogel particles can be contained in various ways to facilitate incorporation into a wide range of systems including pipe-in-pipe systems, LNG & cryogenic gas transportation and storage systems, insulative coatings, daylighting panels, sporting equipment, clothing, and others. Cabot produces Nanogel in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located near Frankfurt, Germany where it began commercial production in 2003. 

About Cabot Corporation
Cabot Aerogel is a business of Cabot Corporation. Cabot Corporation is a global performance materials company headquartered in Boston, MA. Cabot's major products are carbon black, fumed silica, inkjet colorants, capacitor materials, aerogel and cesium formate drilling fluids.  

About Birdair
Birdair, Inc. is a leading builder of architectural fabric roofing systems throughout the world, providing turn-key solutions for architects and clients in all aspects of project design, engineering, installation and maintenance. Birdair roofing systems and cable structures can be attached to any building envelope and offer aesthetic options to complement any exterior design. For more information about Birdair, Inc., please call 1-800-622-2246 or visit www.birdair.com.

About Geiger Engineers
Geiger Engineers is a leader in design and engineering of long-span and special structures.   The firm was founded in 1988 by a group of professionals who have now been collaborating on challenging engineering assignments for more than thirty years. Founder David Geiger, inventor of the low profile air-supported roof employed in many domed stadia, was instrumental in the development of structural membrane materials, such as TEFLON® coated fiberglass.  The firm has pioneered many other innovative long-span, cable, tensile membrane, tensegrity and air-supported structures. For more information visit www.geigerengineers.com.

About Williams Engineering
Williams Engineering Canada Inc. is a leading provider of consulting engineering services. Williams Engineering Canada aims to be at the forefront of sustainable design and to be an effective user of technology to solve engineering challenges. The Williams Engineering Canada multi-disciplinary team specializes in delivering projects and advice to a wide variety of clients from government, municipalities, the private sector, mining, energy, utilities, industrial, telecommunications, transportation, buildings, construction, insurance, and legal industry sectors.

#          #          #

 

Contact:    Hilary Thorne Banda
Marketing Communications Manager
Cabot Aerogel
Email:   hilary_banda@cabot-corp.com