For shipyard Vard, Buitink Technology designed, manufactured and installed a transparent ETFE roof and an ETFE windshield on two new expedition cruise ships (hull numbers 906 and 907). Together they create a sheltered, light outdoor area for the crew on the upper deck: open to the surroundings, but out of the wind and rain.

Single-layer ETFE roof with its own steel structure

The roof measures approximately 7.8 x 7.6 metres and consists of one layer of transparent ETFE foil, tensioned over a slightly curved steel frame. Stainless steel cables in pockets in the foil, every 40 centimetres, transfer the wind load to the edge tube. Buitink supplied the complete roof: foil, clamping profiles and the steel support structure with posts.

As everything stands on a ship at sea, the roof was calculated for wind and snow loads. The frame was transported to the yard in two halves, bolted together there and lifted onto the posts in one piece. Corners and edges have drainage openings, so rainwater does not remain on the foil.

ETFE windshield instead of acrylic

Around the crew area stands a windshield of window frames with ETFE foil instead of acrylic (plexiglass). ETFE weighs only a fraction of glass or plastic sheets, does not break, does not yellow under UV and stays clear. Buitink adapted the window frames and tensioned the foil in each frame to size, based on templates measured on board at the yard.

Why ETFE on a ship

• Lightweight: a single-layer ETFE membrane weighs less than half a kilo per m², ideal high up on a ship where every kilo counts;
• Transparent and UV-resistant: does not yellow or become brittle;
• Fire safe: self-extinguishing, no burning droplets;
• Self-cleaning: dirt hardly adheres, rain washes the foil clean;
• Large spans with little substructure.

Project data

Client:	Vard (shipyard), Norway
Ships:	2 expedition cruise ships, hull numbers 906 and 907
Scope:	Single-layer ETFE roof with steel support structure, ETFE windshield
Roof size:	approx. 7.8 x 7.6 m per ship
Material:	transparent ETFE foil, stainless steel cables, coated steel
Design, engineering, production and installation:	Buitink Technology
Year:	2021-2022

See also the ETFE skylights for expedition ship Silver Origin.