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Special Interest

Thursday - November 5, 2009

Expo Estádio 2009: Roofing and more with Makrolon®

Expertise and quality with impressive integrated concepts

Leverkusen, November 2009 – As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 soccer World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics, Brazilian planners are facing important challenges with regard to architecture and infrastructure. It is no surprise that the trade show for stadium construction, Expo Estádio 2009, which will be held in São Paulo from November 17 to 19, takes on special significance. On Stand 2849 in Hall 02, Bayer MaterialScience will be showcasing innovative plastic sheets made from the high-tech material Makrolon® for impressive integrated solutions in sports stadium construction.

Solid and multiwall sheets made from this polycarbonate open up an amazing range of architectural opportunities, including spectacular roofing with maximum design freedom, highly effective and visually attractive noise barriers, and innovative glazing for large window areas. In collaboration with its proven system partners, the Semi-Finished Products segment offers customer-specific integrated solutions and consistently breaks new ground in the architectural sector with its striking roof and building component solutions.

The BayArena, the stadium that is home to the Bundesliga soccer team Bayer 04 Leverkusen, was recently reopened in time for the new Bundesliga season after undergoing extensive renovation work and now complies with the very latest international standards. The disc-shaped, translucent stand roof with a diameter of 217 meters is the latest, spectacular example of the use of multiwall sheets from the Makrolon® multi UV series.

The recently renovated Weser stadium in Bremen is no less impressive. For the first time, transparent photovoltaic (PV) modules made from Makrolon® by the sunplastics company were used to roof over an area of around 1,500 square meters, with the aim of saving some 100 watts of energy per square meter.

Another example of particularly striking architecture is the new Rhein-Neckar Arena in Sinsheim. The 8,500-square meter roof encircling the playing area is made of polycarbonate multiwall sheets and supported by a white steel structure, giving the impression of a cloud floating over the stadium and fitting perfectly into the hilly surroundings.

Functionality and aesthetics are also finely balanced in the teardrop-shaped Olympic Center Stadium in Tianjin, China. Here, a transparent inner ring of 13,000 square meters of solid Makrolon® sheets covers part of the stands, making it possible to maximize the number of seats without restricting daylight.

A newly designed inner courtyard in Leverkusen, Germany, is protected from the elements and yet is as bright as day. As the 10-mm-thick solid sheets made from polycarbonate (1 m wide and up to 12 m long) were installed from below, the supporting structure is located above the new roof cladding and therefore remains concealed when viewed from below.

Virtuoso material with excellent properties
Other major projects currently planned in connection with large-scale sports events also show that decision-makers in the construction sector value the versatility and attractive appearance of Makrolon® sheets. Multiwall and solid sheets made from this polycarbonate offer all kinds of impressive features. They are extremely sturdy but also highly elastic and flexible to wind movement, so they are able to resist strong winds without requiring massive sub-structures. They display excellent impact resistance and withstand hail, heavy snow loads and severe rain. Yet they are light in weight (just a few kilograms per square meter) and easy to machine.

Their excellent light transmission also ensures optimum lighting conditions without casting deep shadows or creating excessive light-dark contrasts. A special UV coating that is bonded homogeneously to the polycarbonate using a coextrusion process, making it even more durable, filters out harmful UV radiation, but lets through photoactive radiation. Stadium grass therefore receives sufficient levels of sunlight to encourage vigorous growth. The safety of fans is also ensured by compliance with numerous international fire protection regulations. As the material can be calculated precisely in advance and cut to size on site to fit the substructure exactly, it can be used very efficiently. Its flexibility in production often leads to overall cost savings of over 15 percent, and with some special grades such as 3X/25ES multiwall sheet, savings as high as 30 percent and more are possible.

About Bayer MaterialScience:
With 2008 sales of EUR 9.7 billion, Bayer MaterialScience is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and sports and leisure industries. Bayer MaterialScience has 30 production sites around the globe and employed approximately 15,100 people at the end of 2008. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company.

For more information visit www.bayermaterialscience.com and www.bayersheeteurope.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.