Singapore. Population: 5.399 million. Officially named the Republic of Singapore, it is an island country located in Southeast Asia. Okay, so you may have already known those facts. Something you may not have known is that manufacturing accounted nearly 30 percent of Singapore’s GDP in 2013. How does that relate to us? Plymouth Foam’s interest was sparked after learning of the latest development manufactured of EPS foam: The Cloud Arch.
What is The Cloud Arch you ask? Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a long span structure (definition: a building that uses long span roof joint systems in its design to create large unobstructed areas within the structure i.e. a domed stadium*)made of EPS foam. This first of its kind, this ultra-light weight (remember EPS is composed of 95% air) architecture is here to revolutionize the way large open spaces such as factories, stadiums, concert halls and factories are built. After two years of prototyping, The Cloud Arch debuted at Achifest 2014 Pavilion Design Competition held in Singapore and was selected as one of two winners.
NUS’s research team, led by an assistant profession of architecture, Shinya Okuda, made these remarks; “As the material is extremely lightweight, we could achieve significant savings in terms of transportation cost as well as the time taken to set up and dismantle the structures,” said Okuda. “We hope to reduce the construction cost by one-third and construction time by half, compared by conventional construction materials, such as concrete.”
We commend the National University of Singapore for their development of this innovative and sustainable industrial infrastructure; this will make a great impact on our environment in the 21st century.