Playing Under a Durable Dome
 A silver-coloured resin coats triangular panels of S30400 stainless steel |
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Roof on Japanese baseball stadium expected to test the limits of longevity
Nickel magazine, Jun. 01 -- A new type of resin-coated stainless steel, that employs
fluororesin as a coating, is being used to cover the Nagoya Dome, an indoor baseball stadium in Nagoya,
Japan. The dome is home to the Nagoya Dragons baseball team, of Japan's central league.
Built to seat up to 40,500, the Dome, which is also used for concerts and other events, has a total roof area
of about 120,000 square metres.
Panels of S30400 stainless steel, 0.4 millimetres thick, were coated with a silver-colored resin, 25 microns thick then cut in the shape of equilateral triangles, by Nippon Metal Industry. They were mounted on a carbon steel structure using a special mechanical joining system.
Thermal expansion is not a problem with the triangular-shaped panels, as they can easily adjust during the hot summer months, says Masami Sugino, manager of building materials sales for Nippon Metal Industry. Ten-metre triangular tiles were used because they are easy to produce, and the architects chose a fluororesin coating for maximum life and chose silver-coloured resin for aesthetic reasons.
Over the past decade, architects in Japan have increasingly favoured resin-coated stainless steel, owing to its durability. Today, resin-coated stainless steel is used for office buildings, shopping malls, factories and sports centers.
Nippon Metal Industry is just one company that supplies the product. According to Sugino, three different types of coatings are available. The least expensive of these is a silicon polyester coating, which provides a bright surface finish; fluorocarbon coating, containing silicon polyester, is the mid-priced choice and has a dull, low-gloss surface finish; and the most expensive and durable coating is fluororesin, which is also available in mid-colour tones.
Nippon offers resin-coated stainless steel in 22 standard colours but can also supply any other colour upon request. Subdued colours are favoured by Japanese clients for architectural use in conformity with traditional norms. However, some clients choose transparent, resin-coated stainless steel, which preserves the lustre of stainless steel.
"Resin-coated stainless steel was first used in the building of roofs," Sugino says. "The most popular roof colours -- for homes, as well as larger commercial and industrial premises -- are brown, silver and light-green. The company guarantees its polyester resin coatings for at least seven years. The fluororesin clear coating is guaranteed for 15 years, after which time discolouration might occur. The coloured fluororesin coating is guaranteed for 20 years.
Resin-coated materials are available for re-coating if needed, though Sugino points out that no such requests have been made in the 20 years that Nippon Metal Industry has been producing resin-coated stainless steel.
Photo: NIPPON METAL INDUSTRY
